Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

While I accept that those who received a double payment may have been upset by the decision, it arose because recipients received an advance payment for the following week. I took the decision to skip a week's payment to catch up with the advance. The Department took the view — I make this point advisedly — that given that the customers in question receive payment via a bank account facility, they were by and large likely to be able to manage a bank account and funds generally. They were informed as soon as possible after the double payment was made that it was an advance. I decided it was preferable to deal with the matter immediately, rather than drag out repayments by 47,000 customers for more than a year. The matter is now done and dusted and I hope it did not discommode too many people. We will move the computer elsewhere.

See this speech in context