Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

This is one report of which I have taken account. It has not covered everything. If it had, I would simply be able to implement it. It rehearses many of the main issues and suggests certain directions in which to proceed. However, there is much small print to be worked out.

As I indicated to the Deputy, the group meets on a fortnightly basis and will send its report to the full senior officials group on social inclusion by mid-year. That will lead to a report to the Cabinet by the end of July. That is the timescale by which I am working.

As for the amalgamation of CDA and FIS, as the Deputy knows, the NESC has had one of its top experts working on this for some time. I hope to get its final thinking in this regard within a few weeks. The CDA is a payment attached to unemployment, but what it has in common with FIS is that, in general, they are both paid to low income families. For this reason, in terms of payment, whether someone is on a low income because he or she is on benefit or in low-paid employment does not matter much to the children concerned. We are anxious to see whether those two payments may successfully be pulled together so that they are targeted specifically at children who are deemed to be at risk of poverty. That is the job in hand. The NESC is working at it diligently. As soon as I have something specific that may be implemented, I will take it to Cabinet without delay.

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