Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I join in the condemnation of the actions of the so-called Real IRA and the Continuity IRA, which claimed responsibility for the callous murders of the two soldiers and the policeman. They have no support and no mandate on either side of the Border and I sincerely hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice as soon as possible. It is important to note that in the past 12 months, there have been 40 attempts on the lives of policemen in Northern Ireland, which did not come to notice until the recent death of a police officer. Like other Members, I was heartened to hear Martin McGuinness describe the perpetrators of these heinous acts as traitors to the country, which is what they are. Certainly, Members should not be complacent in our attitude. We must give the Garda the tools it requires, including the capacity for greater surveillance and intelligence gathering. Any such expenditure is justified because it will benefit the security of our citizens and the State. I join other Members in calling on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to come to the House to report on what is happening.

Like other Members, I once again raise the issue of the delays being experienced by social welfare applicants, with people waiting up to nine weeks to receive their benefits. This is an absolute disgrace. I appreciate that the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin, is trying to deploy additional staff at social welfare offices, but the problem persists. People pay PRSI and income tax from the first week they join the workforce. It is entirely unacceptable that they should have to wait nine weeks to receive social welfare benefits. These delays also put pressure on community welfare officers, with people obliged to turn to them for money while they wait for their social welfare applications to be processed. The delays are clogging up the entire system. This matter must be dealt with urgently.