Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. I meant to clarify in reply to Deputy O'Reilly earlier that we are conducting a review of the means test process across all schemes in the Department. Means tests are important but they are how the process is implemented. I look forward to hearing people's views on that. We will engage with the Minister for public expenditure on this issue. He is aware of the commitment in the programme for Government. If we look at the changes that have been made in recent years to the income disregard, they show a direction of travel that we intend to continue. The commitment is there in the programme for Government. It is based on me having the resources to do that and I am determined to fight for those resources on an annual basis during the term of this Government.

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