Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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Most likely, I will have time left over. I hope it can be divvied out. Senator Black has everyone in the room thinking because the right to social welfare and certain entitlements sounds amazing.

The witnesses also pointed out that those most affected are the most vulnerable, including children, women and young girls, those with disabilities and our carers, who are providing an invaluable service to society. I cannot emphasise that service strongly enough. As Dr. Fitzpatrick has stated, the affected people are vulnerable because they have no purchasing power. However, they do contribute to our society and provide an invaluable service. It became very apparent, through the information provided, that Northern Ireland seems to be treated as an outlier regarding the broader issues concerning childcare, for example. We have similar issues here in the South. The context of the issues being experienced in Northern Ireland shows it is a case of suffering even more.

I really have only one question because Senator Black has covered the topics I wanted to talk about in respect of social welfare. The question concerns the discretionary housing payment. I am really interested in the information provided in this regard. How comparable is the payment system with the housing assistance payment system we have in the South?