Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Perhaps we should give social welfare recipients an option as to when they will be paid. I have already dealt with the repayment issue. We did not regard this as a case in which any amount was due to be repaid to the Department. The double payment was explained to the recipients and we communicated that there would be no attempt to reclaim the extra moneys. Repayment was not an issue because it would have involved us in significant administrative and negotiation efforts, all to the purpose of reclaiming money to which the recipients were entitled seven days later. Some common sense must be applied in such instances.

However, I have observed in the past that there may be a case for looking at the issue of payment options. There may be people, for example, who are well able to manage their money on a monthly basis and would prefer to receive welfare payments by the month. I am working from the assumption that anybody who is receiving any type of benefit or entitlement is intelligent and possessed of common sense. Perhaps we should accommodate this by building some element of choice into the system. Not everyone insists on a seven-day payment, such as those recipients abroad who are paid on a four weekly basis. We can arrange to pay people in advance if that suits them and other people on certain days. Choice and options should be extended to our customers rather than having a one size fits all approach based on the view that everyone who receives a payment cannot be relied upon to manage their money for seven days. That is an unfair premise but some people are unfortunately in that situation. Most recipients have common sense and are well able to manage their funds.

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