Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 6, before section 7, to insert the following new section:

"7—The Minister shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report:

(a) setting out the mechanisms by which family income supplement could be paid through the tax system, the estimated additional numbers of entitled persons who would benefit from such a change and the estimated cost of such additional take-up; and

(b) evaluating the potential number of beneficiaries under family income supplement if self-employed persons were to qualify for participation.".

In referring to her negotiations with the National Association of Widows in Ireland, the Minister said many widows were not aware of the provisions in the family income supplement. Many people are not aware of how that supplement works. Rather than being considered by the public as a hand-out, the FIS should be incorporated into the tax system so that people should not have to seek such entitlements.