Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an issue which came to my attention recently in my constituency office. I appreciate it does not come under the direct supervision of the Minister in her Department but she may be able to furnish us with some clarity. A person came to me whose business failed and they find themselves in mortgage arrears. The banks are moving on them. They are also in arrears with the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue Commissioners have an attachment order on their bank accounts. Recently, in order to survive and subsist, the person applied for and was granted family income supplement. Upon receiving the first payment of the family income supplement and the arrears due from the application date, the Revenue reached into their bank account and took the payment. As I understand it, the payment is an income supplement for the family to allow them to live day to day. Through her good offices, could the Minister please get clarity on whether the Revenue Commissioners are allowed to take the family income supplement payment from a person's bank account in cases where they have an attachment order on the bank account?

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