Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Some 330,000 people on the lowest incomes were taken out of the universal social charge net. The cut to the national minimum wage that was made by the previous Government was reversed by this Government, something Deputy McDonald said we would not do. We are dealing with special needs payments, which are once-off payments made by community welfare officers. The guidelines given to the community welfare officers governing those payments have not been changed since 1995. Even Deputy McDonald will acknowledge that much has changed since 1995. There are people who may be in need of special needs payments for one reason or another but cannot get them because the community welfare officers are operating on the basis of rules that are 17 years old. There are other cases where payments are being made in some parts of the country which I agree might be more appropriate where there is a greater level of need.

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