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

The effect on the ground of the changes referred to by the Minister is that there is now a blanket refusal by community welfare officers. It is not just the case that they can take the situation into account and that the payment is means-tested. The situation North and South is not comparable by any stretch of the imagination. It is a pity that every time the Minister replies to me she tries to distort the position. We are dealing with questions relating to this State. Can the Minister guarantee that €47 million will be ring-fenced for exceptional needs payments for this year so as to ensure that not just those who seek clothing grants, but those seeking other help will have some recourse to a saving that will help them get out of the hole the Government and the previous Government have put them in, given the effects of all of the other cuts on those people’s lives?

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