Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

This is a case of bureaucracy gone mad. There is a need for fairness, transparency and accountability in this area. Members of this House should not be regularly in receipt of daft replies such as those to which I have referred and which the Minister has probably received on numerous occasions. One of the people concerned approached me recently and asked me why he did not qualify, considering he had lost his hand and he maintained that under the regulations he should qualify. He stated he knew of people in a less serious situation who had qualified. I refer to a case of a person who had suffered a severe stroke and had lost the power on one side. I do not understand the stringent interpretation of the regulations in a negative fashion but I will leave it to the Minister to come to my rescue.

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