Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I will give Deputies a flavour of these cases without mentioning names. A widow returned from the United Kingdom in 2005, having lived there since 1960, and applied for carer's allowance in October that year in respect of her two sons. She was asked to clarify details of her residency in the United Kingdom but no response was received. Her claim was refused on the grounds that she had failed to furnish such evidence and that was the end of the matter, as the Department never heard from her again. A married man returned from the United Kingdom during July and August 2005 to care for his sister. When he returned again to look after her in September that year, he applied for the allowance. She passed away in October and he returned to the United Kingdom in December. A single girl returned from the USA in November 2005 after five years to look after her mother. She applied for carer's allowance that December. When her application was being considered, she was asked to provide evidence that she had returned to Ireland permanently. She responded by withdrawing her application. That is par for the course.

I have a list of similar cases. There is no major issue. None of the people involved in these cases is coming back for one or two years. If they do, they establish residency by opening bank accounts and making it clear that they are going to live here. The cases I have cited are the types refused. The people in question do not give us information about their residency. It becomes impossible for the system to deal with such persons.

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