Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a date for the health reform Bill but last year the Government gave significant extra resources to the Department of Health and the HSE and this year its budget increased significantly. Already, additional funding has been given to the Minister for Health in respect of specific areas discussed on previous occasions.

With regard to debt, the Department of Social Protection has a very well set out and well-established system in respect of the recovery of overpayments, which is protected by legislation in the consolidated Social Welfare Act. This limits the amount of money people can pay out of social welfare income, whether through the household budgeting system run through An Post or for any other purpose. The legislation is a cornerstone of how people on social welfare are protected. The legislation was worked on by the previous Government and since the current Government has been in office. It is a well-established system and I would not like the Deputy to frighten people. It is not in the best traditions of Fianna Fáil. We have a well-established system and the Department of Social Protection officials operate it up and down the country. They have done so for years and will continue to operate it.

The supplementary welfare allowance part of the social welfare system absolutely protects people's incomes where there are issues with debt. What I am saying in respect of the legislation is that we want to avoid a situation in which anyone has to get into debt, because I have seen the catastrophic consequences, particularly for working-class families, of allowing debts to build up. People are then faced with debts of hundreds of euro, which are incredibly difficult for them to meet, and a repayment system must be worked out to allow them to repay that over a long period. Without this reform, people with debts would have faced the risk of going to prison. There may be some people who do not like to see the end of that system, but the announcement has been strongly welcomed by various organisations.

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