Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his reply. I congratulate MABS for the work it has undertaken. It provides a wonderful service. While 12,000 is a lot of people to help, there are many more who could possibly avail of the service. In recent days it has been brought to my attention that there is a noticeable increase in the number of loan sharks or money lenders operating in some areas of the city. Whether that is due to the time of year, I do not know but it is a matter of major concern. I only have anecdotal evidence but the Minister might keep an eye on the situation to see if there is anything he can do about it. I have no doubt that MABS will spend the additional funding wisely but perhaps a media or leaflet campaign could be undertaken to ensure that people are aware of the service and will avail of it. In that way, people could seek advice rather than getting themselves into debt with money lenders. People may be desperate for money at Christmas time, which is a particularly difficult period. They may be driven into the hands of moneylenders. We must do all we can to encourage people to avoid moneylenders because they will only end up paying them a fortune and getting themselves into greater debt.