John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste's response clearly shows again that the Government does not get it. It does not have any regard for people who depend on social benefits, and her response clearly shows that.

I concur with the Tánaiste that the staff in the Department are very efficient - efficient in the fact that they highlighted concerns over staff levels a full three months before the Taoiseach responded. He only responded because it hit the headlines. The response to the freedom of information request clearly shows there was a flurry of activity in the Department at the time to try to fix this problem. This only happened because it was in the spotlight and the media were focusing on it. It was an inconvenient time because it came in the middle of the Tánaiste's leader's leadership bid. Only then was action taken in a blind panic. The Taoiseach might have been too focused on his hate campaign against other social welfare recipients to pay attention to the issue affecting thousands of mothers who were entitled to their benefit and were not being paid.

I will again ask the question and maybe the Tánaiste will give an accurate response. Why did the Taoiseach not act a full three months prior to when he actually did? Why did he sit on hands and allow these payments go unpaid?

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