Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is touching on something close to my heart. As a young fellow, I spent many days in the car with my father who was a community welfare officer back in the days when such officers could call to a house, get an understanding of what was happening and spend time with a family. Over the years, the volume of activity increased in an effort to reach people with supports through social protection or essential needs payments and it has become harder to have a connection with families. That is particularly true during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I would stress and ask that the system respond. The system did not respond in an important way to people who had emergency needs during the financial crisis of ten years ago. The essential needs payment is one of the best ways to close that gap in the short term as someone works through the red tape and forms that are required. I agree with the Deputy. Our staff at the front line in Intreo and social welfare offices absolutely try to make those judgment calls. Sometimes the system prevents those people from making the right call and we need to work with them on that. The essential needs payment is ideal to cover the cracks in the short term while people address their issues. We will work with the Deputy on that.

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