Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 6, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following:

3.—The Minister shall as soon as may be after the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on any arrangements whereby claimants under the Social Welfare Acts are not provided with payments for the first 3 days of any claim and the continued justification for any such practice.

It is very hard to understand the justification for not paying someone for the first three days of a claim. It is often a sore point with persons in receipt of long-term illness benefits. They have been making payments and doing their best until, through no fault of their own, they are out of work and for some unknown reason are not paid for the first three days of a claim. Nobody is suggesting somebody who is out sick for two or three days should be paid but it seems only fair that if a person is out for two or three weeks, he or she should be able to recoup the payment for those three days in the second or third week. I do not understand the reason for omitting a payment for the first three days if a person is entitled to make a claim. I ask for it to be reinstated.

See this speech in context