Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I do not have difficulty with the principle of a swipe card and moving to a more technologically based payments system. I am concerned, however, as regards the teething problems, particularly in respect of elderly social welfare recipients, who at present can sign cheques authorising nominees to collect payments on their behalf. They exercise control in so far as their signature is on the back of the cheque being presented at the local post office. I am open to correction as regards my interpretation of the Secretary General's comments in this regard, but I understand her to say a social welfare customer may sign a long-term nomination form and also a short-term form for when he or she is sick, in hospital for a few weeks or whatever. I am not clear how that will work as regards the short-term nominee. The potential for abuse exists within the new system because there is no clarity as regards the dates to be on the forms. Will they be pre-printed when someone is signing for a week, month or whatever? It appears to do away with the degree of control the recipient has under the current system, and this needs to be addressed.

I raised the matter of the validity period on Committee Stage, and Deputy Shortall has raised it again. Somebody in hospital for a hip operation could be out of action for a two-month period, by which time his or her payment will be out of date. Not every social welfare recipient will want to sign a nomination form. Some will prefer to let the payments build up so they may collect them from the post office. Perhaps the Minister will also deal with that point.

The matter of budgeting has been raised with us. I know one can argue that if social welfare is so badly needed it is unlikely to be let build up over a number of weeks. There is some validity in this, but at the same time, some people allow it to build up as a means of paying for big occasions such as first communions or fuel deliveries. We have discussed the fuel strategy before and I asked the Minister to consider whether the payment in this regard might be paid in a bigger lump sum than at present. These changes, however, appear to eliminate recipients' opportunities for budgeting, short of opening credit union or post office accounts for themselves. The Minister looks as if he disagrees, but the information I have been getting——

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