Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

As I stated previously, this is something I want to do. I confirm again that it is not a financial issue. It is still a legal issue at this point. My advice from the Attorney General's office still holds, although it is my intention to go back to raise further issues with him.

The original issue we raised with the Attorney General's office was to extend it to all Irish born people in the UK and the advice on that was fairly clear, that I could not do it without extending it to all citizens of the EU.

I then looked at whether it was possible to extend it to those on social welfare pensions, in receipt of which there are almost 31,000 in the UK. These are mainly contributory pensioners. Some of them could be quite well off, although I am not saying they are. They are not non-contributory pensioners who are means tested. They all are in receipt of pensions which are not means tested. Nevertheless, that does not mean that one should not try to assist them and I certainly would like to do so.

I would be interested in studying those replies. Ms Mary Lou McDonald did not include me on her mailing list.

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