Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 18:

In page 3, before section 4, to insert the following new section:

"4. 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 on the operation of the Family Income Supplement.".

This amendment seeks to elicit information on how well the family income supplement is working. While the FIS is of great benefit to many families, I wonder how many are in receipt of this payment. Is the Minister aware that some families should be in receipt of it but, for one reason or another, are not aware of their entitlements? What steps is the Department taking to ensure that people know their rights in this regard? It is difficult to inform people of all their rights because there are so many different schemes and allowances. It is even difficult for families themselves to know what they are entitled to but we are talking here about the most vulnerable people. The FIS would be of benefit to them so I would like to know how many are currently in receipt of the supplement and how much it costs.