Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 7, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following:

"(3)—The Minister shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the number of eligible persons and proportion thereof availing of the Family Income Supplement.".

This amendment, which relates to the family income supplement, is one of those classic amendments we must table because we are not permitted to raise the issue any other way. I agree with what my colleagues said about the farcical way we have to go about tabling amendments on the social welfare Bill, that it makes no sense and makes the House look antiquated. Generally the Government has the numbers, even if it has lost a few in the past few weeks, to get its votes through. The fact we cannot table and discuss amendments on particular issues does no service to the House or democracy.

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