Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the paragraph in the Minister of State's reply which states "the method of calculating FIS entitlement has not changed". It has changed, based on information supplied by the employer and by the applicant. I wish to stress that this is the fourth year for the applicant. In years one, two and three, the application was successful but the renewal application this year is unsuccessful. Therefore, the assessment criteria or the formula has changed because the applicant's circumstances have not.

I will read into the record again the documentation supplied to the Department by the employer. The applicant works 20 hours per week, at €10 per hour but the some wizard in the Department has calculated, based on some unknown formula, that the applicant works 18.4 hours a week. That is based on the Department's assessment. A procedure has been introduced that changes the status quo. If what was in the Minister of State's speech was correct, the application would have been unsuccessful to begin with.

I respectfully request that an official in the Department contacts me to say that this piece of nonsense will stop forthwith and that payment will be reinstated. As I have outlined, new eligibility criteria or an assessment formula has been introduced that is different from the system that was used for the first three years, resulting in the suspension of the payment.

The Minister of State represents the Department of Health and I acknowledge the fact that he has taken time out of his schedule to take this topical issue. I ask that in communicating back to the Department of Social Protection that he requests that the Department would stop referring to people who use the system as "customers" - they are citizens of a republic. I further ask the Minister of State to communicate my frustration to the Department of Social Protection because it is a complete waste of resources. The applicant's circumstances have not changed but the system used by the Department of Social protection has changed.

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