Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her detailed reply. There are glitches that happen from time to time, usually in situations where an earner comes into or leaves the household intermittently. That may then cause a situation like one I had to deal with over Christmas where a household earns no money at all and has no way of getting money. The supplementary welfare system is supposed to be there to deal with such a situation but it not always possible, depending on the time and place and when public holidays fall. Such situations can occur. It was said to me in the course of discussion that the applicant in question was due a lot of money in child benefit and was due to receive it shortly.

That is not an answer to the question, though. Child benefit is a different payment altogether that has a different role and addresses a different issue. One payment should not be held up against another to say those affected have enough to proceed.

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