Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the basis that we spend billions of euros of taxpayers' money, the Minister and Government decided in 2005 that we needed to have a process to ensure the money went to the people entitled to it. That SAFE 2 process was ratified in 2005 by the then Government and became law in 2011.

I hate talking about particular people but the person the Deputy refers to was not refused and their payment was not ceased because they did not have a PSC. The payment was ceased because despite numerous attempts to ask that particular person to come in and identify themselves, they did not want to. The law requires that people prove themselves to a level of SAFE 2 identity authentication. That person, for whatever reason, did not feel comfortable doing so. I am happy to say that was resolved and the money was reinstated, and indeed backdated.

There is no conspiracy here. I know some people would like to see a conspiracy. What we need to ensure is that taxpayers' money, generated off the back of everybody's taxes, is sent and directly given to the people entitled to receive it.

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