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

We have issued 5,000 plus PPS numbers to people, most of whom are foreign students or others from abroad whom we probably did not know about beforehand. In the absence of a PPS number, we have been giving people the supplementary welfare allowance, a weekly payment equivalent to what they require to meet their needs. The task force is working, but I am not aware of anyone who is not receiving a payment from us in some shape or form. That is, unless people have not presented themselves to us yet. If the Deputy knows of someone who is not getting the money, give me the details and I will look after him or her.

Our aim was to leave no one behind. If someone did not have a PPS number, we would get him or her one. If someone did not want to get a PPS number, we would get him or her the supplementary welfare allowance, which did not require a PPS number.

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