Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Some 20,000 people had illegal deductions taken from them. All that is on offer today is €2,000. The remainder is an illegal debt. Let the Minister put the shoe on the other foot and imagine that people had been overpaid social welfare benefits. The Department of Social and Family Affairs would insist that it all be paid back quickly. Why are the demands of the voiceless to have the illegal payments returned to them not acted on, as any Department would demand if it were so entitled? It is a sad Christmas for 20,000 or more people in this country. That is why the Government benches are so vacant. The only one present, who is most unusually silent, is Senator Leyden. I pity him; he will not be visiting any of those long-term institutions in his constituency.