Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

If the Minister stands over a social welfare inspector who calls to a home on two occasions and finds nobody at home and then cuts off the payment from the State which those people are dependent on to survive, then a wider debate is required. Those are the decisions being taken in some cases. I know many staff in the Department who are working under significant strain and pressure and are trying to beat the timeframes and long delays that have been mentioned by Senator McFadden. Unfortunately, these cases are on my desk. They are undisputed, black and white cases and this is why they are being refused. There is an issue but I would welcome a report and I do not see any harm in reporting to the committee about progress made on appeals.