Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I did not realise that Question No. 26 was being taken with Question No. 22. These are difficult times and the appeals system is under severe pressure. The Minister said that community welfare officers will be transferring to her Department. Will that require the introduction of legislation? Under the 2005 supplementary welfare legislation, SI 412, a community welfare officer has exceptional powers of discretion when it comes to emergency funding or in circumstances where he or she and the primary team who might work with the community came across a situation that allows them to override the system. The Minister is aware that the supplementary welfare legislation is known as the payment of last resort and considerable changes have taken place in practice whereby the community welfare officer can now act as a buffer until the appeals system is dealt with. I am mindful of extraordinary cases, be they of poverty, where a special appliance is needed, a payment is required by a person who is terminally ill and there may be no time to carry out a means test, or a payment is required to cover the cost of a funeral. Is there a need for the supplementary welfare legislation to be reviewed? When community welfare officers transfer to her Department, will they no longer have the title "community welfare officers"? What level of community contact will they have and will there be a service available for people with exceptional needs, some examples of which I gave?

See this speech in context