Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 3, subsection (1), line 11, after "Welfare" to insert "(Miscellaneous Provisions)".

This amendment should be accepted given the change reflected in the motion on this Bill yesterday. The motion indicates that the Minister introduced a range of other provisions into what was originally a social welfare and pensions (No. 2) Bill. It is not only the social welfare code and pensions that we are now dealing with and the Minister should accept this. We are dealing not only with changes to the one-parent family payment, but also, as the motion states, with changes to the "Social Insurance Fund, employed contributors and employment contributions, supplementary welfare allowance, offences, miscellaneous control provisions and proceedings, claims and payments, jobseeker's benefit, appointments and duties of social welfare inspectors, social welfare [in general], miscellaneous provisions on budgeting, and occupational pension schemes". The legislation also deals with the use of PPS numbers for purposes other than those intended. I am not quibbling in that regard.

My amendment is reasonable and short and reflects the practice regarding previous social welfare legislation that dealt with matters in addition to the social welfare code, which practice involved the use of the catch-all phrase "Miscellaneous Provisions" in the Title. A range of issues is covered in the Bill. We thrashed out last night that the legislation is being rushed. If we had had more time, the Minister would have captured the essence of this amendment.

See this speech in context