Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not understand the logic of the Minister of State's reply. He has told me that the amounts will be raised. We know this from the Budget Statement. He has also told me that there will be an information campaign. We can have an information campaign at any time. We are saying each and every member of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection has ideas because of his or her experience of dealing with constituents and their problems on a regular basis. He or she is aware of the anomalies and knows how the system could be improved to rectify the anomalies. That is very important. The Minister of State has given me an assurance that the Minister will continue to review the position and that at some stage in the next six months she will bring a report to the relevant committee, but that is not what I am asking for in the amendment. What I am seeking is that the Minister commission a specific report on the issue and have it discussed by the committee. I have given her six months in which to do so, which is not unreasonable. I will not withdraw the amendment. I will press it because this is something we want to be sure will happen. The committee should be given that opportunity and it should be written into the legislation. I do not see what the problem is.

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