Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

All I ask is that the Leader, having put the question to the Minister, would come back with some indication of what went wrong. When the opportunity arises, which I hope it will sooner rather than later, I hope there will be a seamless transfer of Ms McGivern to the relevant hospital and that her family will not have to suffer what they have been grievously suffering over the last number of days. I would very much like to have the person responsible named and shamed. Some individual made the decision. We do not have a culture of naming and shaming in this country.

In light of the guillotining of the social welfare Bill last week, the opportunity to question the Minister about the sections covering the habitual residence rule did not arise. However, I was delighted to read over the weekend that she has issued guidelines to all community welfare offices to ensure returning emigrants will not be discriminated against when they sign on legitimately for social welfare benefits. Will the guidelines be circulated to Members in order that we have an idea of what they involve rather than us having to rely on newspaper reports? It was a shame that those who contributed so much to this country but who had to leave because they had no option were being denied social welfare payments when they returned. It was a national scandal and I compliment the Minister on seeing fit to issue the guidelines, which are the result of the lobbying that has taken place in this regard both by Irish organisations working on behalf of emigrants in England and organisations here such as Crosscare Migrant Project FLAC. I hope the Minister will give us an assurance that they will be adhered to and they will not be strictly enforced to ensure no returning emigrant will be denied the right that those of us living in the country enjoy.