Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That definition of who could avail of the amnesty could be broadened as it would require a very simple change in the definition to allow those who are genuinely stuck and who are afraid of facing a bill from the Department to avail of an amnesty and get themselves out of a situation that is eating away at them because they cannot afford it. Very genuine people are caught in many cases. Genuine errors are made by applicants and the Department. For example, earlier last year, the Department made an error where 63,000 people received an extra week's fuel allowance. The Department moved quickly to recoup the money from those people in the first week. That is the scale of a small error that happens day in, day out. Sometimes it is not spotted, while at other times, it is an individual case.

I thank all those who took part in what has been a useful discussion. Hopefully, the Minister will consider it again in the future in any of the social welfare miscellaneous provisions she might be undertaking.

See this speech in context