Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

We will have to forget the politics of protest on this one and, in the interests of Ireland, pass this treaty.

I also welcome the recent announcement by the Minister for Social Protection that she will propose new powers for social welfare inspectors to crack down on social welfare fraud. I welcome the fact that inspectors will be given powers of inquiry at ports and airports to curtail what is regarded as social welfare tourism in which many people living outside of the country not entitled to benefits here travel in and out on regular occasions to collect social welfare benefits. I understand detection in this area has resulted in savings of €13 million to date. Hopefully, we will see significant improvements in this, as well as all other aspects of social welfare fraud.

Resources, as we know, are scarce and we want to make sure they are targeted at the needy in our community. The people who have an entitlement and a need for benefits are those we all want to see receive their proper benefits at an adequate level. Will the Leader inquire as to when the new public services identification card, the PSC, will be available? Will he inquire if we can get an update on some occasion from the Minister on the progress being made in producing this identity card which will go a long way in stamping out social welfare fraud that is still quite significant?