Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

She probably will not like what I will say to her. Her predecessor ran a campaign entitled "Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All". It was wholeheartedly condemned by the majority of Deputies on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection as vindictive, malicious and mean spirited. It goes against everything we are trying to do for social justice. It was an affront to anybody on social welfare. I do not condone fraud but it is a pretty horrible measure that the name of anyone convicted of fraud is included in a register for three months. I know people have said that register can be online for only three months but who is to stop anybody using that name on social media and sharing it? Deputy O'Dea says there should be an excess of €5,000 but I think it should be got rid of. Last year, at a meeting of the committee I asked an official from the Department of Social Protection how many were convicted of fraud.

I asked an official what was the least amount owed by any of the 126 people. The least amount was €726. Had this person been convicted, he or she would have been on a register. I believe wholeheartedly that this is very unfair.

Another reason people are up in arms about this proposal is that we can see the other comparisons in society. Look at what is happening in the corporate sector where people evade taxes and are, literally, robbing the State. They do not seem to get any justice. It sticks in people's craw. We have a system that is a class bias system, with one law for the rich and one law for people who are trying to get on. I hope this measure can be taken out of the Bill completely. Some parts of the Bill are progressive but I hope the Dáil can exclude this measure. It would give rise to unintended consequences for data protection and for the liberty of the person. It is a horrible measure and I have no doubt that it was the idea of the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. It was his vanity project to get elected. That is his legacy and I hope the Minister, Deputy Doherty, looks upon this and makes it her good guidance to take it out.

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