Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I may deviate a bit from what is in the Bill, but my points apply to whether people receive social welfare, and I need to highlight something which is ridiculous. We all encourage people to start working when they are young, because if they develop a work ethic when they are young they tend to continue with it. However, the way the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant is set up at present, if a youngster earns more than €4,500 it puts him or her over the threshold for receiving the grant. This encourages them to stay at home and draw social welfare. This should be remedied, and youngsters should be allowed to earn as much as possible during holiday time and at other times when they can source work.

Many people on back to education courses are required to attend Turas Nua offices every week. Even though they have proof they are on courses, such as people who want to be carers and who must do courses, they are still required to travel distances. I know one person who travels 27 miles every Monday to be asked whether he has any proof he is looking for work. Surely the fact he is on course to become a carer and is trying to improve himself should be proof enough. Here we are, paying someone in Turas Nua to meet this man every week.

It is absolutely ridiculous.

With regard to self-employed people, some of the work they get is seasonal. They encounter an absolute stone wall when they try to get payments to tide them over for a short time. They are put through hoops and it is weeks before they get anything. People in these situations have come to me and told me they are hungry. That is a fact. They end up going to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. That is the truth, and it is not right. These people pay taxes when they are working. Their contributions pay for us here and for services in the country. However, if they find themselves without work, as can happen and it is still happening in Kerry even though the country is supposed to have been turned around, they are unable to tax their vans or pay their insurance. If they could get something to tide them over for a short time, they are very confident of getting work again. I know several people who have had to go to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in recent months to get food to feed themselves. That is not right.

The back to education allowance is for people who wish to return to education. There are silly and stupid obstacles preventing people getting the back to education payment. If a person wishes to take a second level course, he or she must be getting a social welfare payment and it must be in payment before that person starts the education programme or prior to getting the back to education allowance. If somebody becomes unemployed and wishes to go on an education course and get the back to education allowance for a second level course, he or she must be on the social welfare payment for three months. If the person only becomes unemployed in July and the course is starting in September, the person will not be on the payment for three months, so the person will not qualify for the course. The person will have to stay on jobseeker's payment for another 12 months until the following year. That is ridiculous. For third level courses a person must be on the social welfare payment for nine months. If the person has not been on the social welfare payment for the nine months preceding September the person will not qualify for the course and must stay on jobseeker's payment for the rest of the year. That is costing the country money. Time spent in prison in the State can count towards a qualifying period, provided the person has established an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment. It appears that a blackguard who finished up in prison is being better looked after than the person who was working up to near the date of seeking the back to education allowance.

See this speech in context