Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I thank the Minister and compliment her for the tremendous job that she has done since she went into the Department of Social Protection. As somebody along with others who was putting pressure on the Government and the Minister to respond in this budget to people who were finding it very difficult out there, I thought that the Minister did a very good job. Of course, people are finding it difficult, but the Minister did a superb job going into Government and fighting for the money that we needed to get. Any money that is given to people who need it is money that is welcome and I compliment the Minister.

I also compliment the Minister on her staff in the Department of Social Protection. I would like to put on the record of the Dáil that I wish there were more Ministers like the Minister and more Departments like the Department of Social Protection. I refer to the answers to Dáil questions I get back here on a daily basis. The public service is blocking democracy but the point about the Department of Social Protection is that if one puts down a Dáil or writes to the Department, one will get a response. It might not be the response that one will want, but one will get a response. One will get the facts of what is happening from the Department, not like other Departments. I send back questions every day to the Ceann Comhairle because I have received no response from a Department. I would like to put on the record my request to the Minister to try to get more staff because they are under pressure, particularly with the Ukrainian refugees. However, they have done the job and they have to be complimented for that.

There is one issue I would like to raise with the Minister in relation to the qualified allowance. This is where women or men, if their husband or wife is getting a social welfare pension and their wife or husband is looking for the qualified allowance, have to get permission from their spouse to be able to get that payment. I ask the Minister to bring in legislation at some stage to deal with that. It is wrong that the partner has to ask the husband or wife for permission to get that payment in her or his own right. I would like if the Minister would look at that.

Finally, in relation to the fuel allowance, the Minister did a fantastic job. For a couple, the threshold is approximately €1,000. For a single person, it is a bit less. For the single person, the Minister might try to look at the means test to allow them a little more to be able to qualify for the fuel allowance.

The Minister did a superb job. Her Department did a superb job. I know that the Minister will be fighting to get more when people need it, and they do need it. The Minister has done a superb job and I compliment her on that.

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