Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 November 2018

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill: Report Stage

 

2:20 pm

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

I cannot accept this amendment because I cannot give the Deputy the report that she wants. Now that I know exactly what she is looking for, the difficulty is that I do not have the data about why people would be unsuccessful in applying for something. We do not keep records if one applies for something and does not get access to it. If that lady applied for lone parent payment, she would not qualify because she is not the children's parent. I cannot correlate information between the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, which makes the foster parents payment, because there is no legal ability to share the data between our Departments. Even if I was to try to get all of the names of people who have applied and been unsuccessful, I will not know the reasons why they have been unsuccessful. I have no way to cross-reference them with the people who are currently in receipt of foster care payments because of data protection. I do not want to refuse the Deputy but do not know how to give her what she is looking for because I do not have access to the information, unless she can think of another way.

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