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

I am glad that is all cleared up now. The Ceann Comhairle is welcome back. I am delighted to see him.

I strongly support the remarks of Deputy Joan Collins in respect of community welfare officers. The net effect of the administrative changes that have been made in that regard has been to make the poor poorer. That is my day-to-day experience of how those changes have worked.

I am sure there is a good reason for it, but I and many other Deputies have been confined to three minutes speaking time on the biggest item of annual Government expenditure. I do not know whose idea it was but it is not a very good one. I would love to have it explained to me. I will have to confine myself to asking the Minister a few questions.

In the context of the Government's compensation package for people affected by inflation, there was an announcement that a lump sum of €500 will be paid to most categories of social welfare recipients, such as those in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension and so on. As the Minister will be aware, people on such allowances are entitled to take short-term training courses under the aegis of SOLAS, during which time they continue to get their social welfare allowance. They do not get an increased amount; they continue to get their usual amount. I found out, to my absolute bemusement - this was confirmed in a written reply sent to me by the Minister - that if the date of payment of that €500 coincides with a time when a person is on such a training course, he or she does not get the €500. That is daft, frankly. It is insupportable. It is a deterrent to people going on training courses that are designed to help them back into the workplace. I raised this issue with the Taoiseach on 15 November and he agreed it is a glaring anomaly and stated it would be resolved. Is it going to be resolved? If so, when and how?

The Minister recently made an announcement encouraging people to stay on working after they reach the age of 66. What is the position with regard to all the people who are contractually bound to retire at 65? The Government has consistently refused to legislate or accept legislation to outlaw that type of contract. We are told that to interfere with them now would be unconstitutional. If it is unconstitutional, let us have a referendum and change the Constitution. We have had referendums previously on less serious matters.

What is the current status of the auto-enrolment scheme? Is the Department going to press ahead with the scheme as announced? Is it working on that? Will there be a proper debate on the matter in the House? The scheme as announced contains a number of serious flaws and could be much improved. It should be properly debated in the House. When will it be in operation? It has been delayed for two years, largely due to Covid. According to my calculations, a person on €45,000 a year will have lost approximately €8,000 in benefits from his or her employer and the State as a result of that delay.

If the Minister could specifically answer those questions when replying, I would much appreciate it.

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