Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister to the House. The Minister's speech and key points were well constructed. He has covered all the salient points and difficulties that are being experienced. Many of the speakers have also made very important points and the Minister has recognised the importance of listening when making pre-budget decisions. He is working very hard at the moment.

We must recognise the improvements that the Minister has introduced to the social welfare system during his term, as well as improvements that have taken place during the Government's term. Many people have welcomed improvements in child benefit and old-age pensions. As prices increase, people will always want more no matter what they receive. That is human nature. However, we should recognise what has been done to date. Senator Bannon mentioned housing aid, disabled persons' grants, etc., and large amounts of money have been placed in and spent on these schemes. Significant developments have also taken place.

Senators Kitt and Cummins mentioned representational allowance. My opinion as a Senator elected by those councillors, and as a councillor who spent 27 years on a local authority before walking away without benefit or pension help, is that the matter should be examined. Perhaps the issue cannot be investigated immediately, but we should ensure that those people serving the public in a voluntary capacity — although they receive a representational allowance which is taxed — are included in future in some form of pension scheme.

I wish to discuss difficulties that arise in social welfare payments and appeals officers. Appeals are taking far too long and action must be taken in respect of people who are for some reason cut off. As it can take so long for an appeal to be made, these people are put under extreme strain. Often forms that are received from the Department are difficult to complete, and people may get a public representative to do it or go to their solicitor. This was commented on earlier. The issue should be examined and the process streamlined. Social welfare officers should make themselves available to assist these people in filling out such forms.

There is an anomaly in farm retirement pensions, which a number of farmers signed up to. I blame some of the farm bodies which advised farmers to take up these pension schemes, which were not index linked. The farmers affected are serious losers, although they took their decision to enable their offspring or younger well-qualified people to take over the farms. These people were left with a pension that was not index linked and has been of little value to them over the years. The farm assist scheme was commented on and more publicity is required, as it is an excellent scheme which is working very well. A number of farmers have not signed on to it for some reason, and more help must be offered.

Although the system of people with disabilities and personal assistants has been working, there is a time limit in which people who qualified through FÁS, for example, work as personal assistants for particular people. This should be examined and the time limit extended, as when people with serious disabilities are helped by such assistants a professional approach is built between them. They must be afforded the opportunity of continuing. I am aware of instances where a disabled person's assistant must finish and somebody else must come in to be trained. The time limits must be extended.

I wish to discuss people with disabilities purchasing specialised adapted vehicles. An anomaly exists within the relevant programmes, as people can qualify if they lose a leg, for example, but not if an arm is lost. Action must be taken on this issue. More seriously disabled people should qualify for these schemes, as it would make a major difference to their livelihoods.

The Minister indicated that the social programme must be about empowering, liberating, actively creating opportunity, tackling the causes of poverty and bringing people from welfare dependency to welfare independence. He has summed the issue up well in that comment.