Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 13:

In page 6, before section 3, but in Part 2, to insert the following new section:

3.—The Minister shall, within 2 months of the enactment of this Act, report to the Houses of the Oireachtas, on the progress made in reducing the processing time for social welfare payments.".

This amendment is about waiting lists in terms of processing claims. In my own area of Athlone and its environs the processing of people's claims is excellent. I compliment the staff on the courtesy and decency they show to people who find themselves out of work. In other areas of Westmeath, especially the Mullingar and Castlepollard area, difficulties have been experienced. I appreciate those difficulties are being addressed but I regret to say that officials in the Department of Social Protection who are following up people defrauding the system have been put on desk work and are trying to process claims, which is somewhat of a contradiction. This is a valid amendment which asks that the Minister would give Members a progress report at some point on the way these issues are progressing.