Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I cannot understand why it is taking so long. While I accept the Minister is not very long in office, one must ask what his predecessor was doing for the past five years, from the time the Bill was scrapped in 2002. Was any work done within the Department regarding MABS? It is all very well paying lip service, saying this is a great organisation which does fantastic work, but if that work is not recognised within the Department and is not given priority in terms of preparing legislation, that is a very poor reflection on the Department.

I wish to broaden the discussion vis-À-vis the other questions that have been grouped with Question No. 106. We know that in 2006, the average level of debt of clients attending MABS was approximately €6,500. Last year, that went up substantially, to €7,600, which represents an increase in indebtedness of 17%. Does the Minister believe that reflects on the level of payments provided by his Department, given that many MABS clients are in receipt of social welfare payments? Does it raise significant questions about the income support that his Department is providing? Why does the Minister think there has been such a substantial increase in the level of indebtedness?

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