Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this issue. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, to the House. There has been a significant increase in the number of people claiming social welfare payments. This exponential increase is affecting those seeking assistance and the staff of our social welfare offices. I pay tribute to the staff in question, who are very personable, honourable and up-front, by and large, as they help people. They are a pleasure to work with and work for. The manner in which social welfare claims are processed is a matter of great concern to everyone involved in public life because it has an impact on people.

I would like to paint a picture for the House in that regard. A constituent of mine, who I do not wish to name, recently e-mailed me to explain his frustration in this area. He stated:

I was let go two weeks ago and signed on. I rang the social welfare office and they said that there is a six week backlog. How am I to survive with no money for the next month? It is a disgrace. My rent is due next week. Luckily I have enough to cover that. After that I have nothing — I mean nothing. So many people are in the same boat. The Government needs to act swiftly to help people this Christmas and emergency staff need to be brought in to clear the back log over the next ten days. This has to be done. What sort of Christmas will the people of Ireland have?

The man who sent me that e-mail is one of many ordinary citizens who are suffering the indignity of losing their jobs and having to sign on. I had the unpleasant experience of having to sign on in 1986 and 1987. I had to go to hatch 4 in the old labour exchange in Cork to claim a miserly £49 a week.

In response to a recent Dáil question tabled by my colleague, Deputy Enright, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin, said that an additional 115 staff, at clerical and staff officer level, are to be assigned to these duties and arrangements are to be put in place for them. Looking at the data supplied, it seems that not one of the 115 staff in question has been assigned to the city of Cork. I am open to correction on that, and if I am wrong, I will stand corrected. As things stand, people have to endure a six-week interregnum.

When I spoke on the telephone with a very nice person in the social welfare office in Cork, I was informed that people waiting for their welfare payments to be processed should contact their local community welfare office for assistance. That is not good enough in this day and age. As the number of people claiming social welfare benefit increases, more and more people are suffering under pressure. Fundamentally, we are dealing with people, women and men, some of whom have families, are single or are separated. Does it suffice to tell such people that there is a six-week minimum interregnum before they can get any money or help?

I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response. I hope she will have good news for people. As we approach Christmas week, we need to help people by reallocating more staff to work on the processing of payments. I have read from a heartfelt e-mail written by a man who had a job until he lost it a month ago. He wants to get on in life, but he is suffering. It is more than disappointing that we treat such people with disrespect in some cases — it is a disgrace and it is outrageous. I do not subscribe to the view that all Ministers are so out of touch that they do not know what is happening. It is clear from some of the comments she has made in other forums that the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, certainly knows what is happening. I appeal to the humanity of Ministers who can help people in the circumstances to which I have referred. Such people deserve to be treated properly by the State.