Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept the criteria should be reduced to three months. I have said this before, but it is significant. This is a scheme that is in place to support people who are on social welfare. If we changed the provisions, we could get young people finishing their leaving certificate in June and signing on for three months and getting €200 a week despite the fact they fully intended to go on to third level education. This must be avoided.

See this speech in context