Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I will not need the five minutes allowed to me. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this matter for discussion on the Adjournment, since it is a very important issue for me and many of my constituents.

I would like to know the reason for a 14-week delay in pensions being issued to eligible people. Letters have been coming from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. I do not criticise it, since it has been very efficient, especially at dealing with our parliamentary questions and queries, over an extended period. However, I am disturbed by the letters it is sending. The letters explain that there is a temporary delay of 14 weeks in processing pension applications and ask people not to contact the office. The letters also request that people contact their local Health Service Executive office if they are short of money in the meantime. These are people who are retiring after working very hard for a long time and paying their taxes, but find that their pensions are not in place. This is a deplorable state of affairs for people who have given considerable service to the State.

Given our buoyant economy, I cannot understand why staff cannot be assigned to these offices to alleviate the problem. Retirement represents a major change in people's lives and for them to be told that they will be left without a pension for 14 weeks after a long period of working is not good enough. What is the reason for this delay, when will it be resolved and when will normal service resume? This delay affects a considerable number of people. Over a short period, six people contacted my constituency office about this matter. If this resonates in other constituency offices, it must be a very significant issue. I expect a very clear and positive answer from the Minister of State.

See this speech in context