Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. I dispute the fact but I understand why people are concerned and that they would think it might drag on. I am determined that it is going to be as tight as possible. At the same time, we need to get the views in. I want to refresh it. I do not just want to make one or two tweaks to it. The scheme has huge potential in the long term and there are opportunities that we need to consider, which perhaps the RSS has not gone into before.

Ostensibly, it is labelled as an income support scheme but the Deputies know as well as I do that people on the scheme do not get involved for the money. They get involved for the community aspect. They get involved to be a part of the community. Ultimately, it is social inclusion scheme and it is also mental health scheme. There are a lot of core benefits, to use a phrase, that need to be identified and acknowledged by other Departments that are at the table for the review as well. They also need to play their part.

I wish I had the power to go, "Yes, let us just bump up the rates on it now", but we must respect the review process. I expect there will be financial suggestions coming out of the process and I will look at them in due course.

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