Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I listened to Senator Leyden speak about all of the schemes Fianna Fáil introduced. Its doing so is part of the problem because new structural difficulties in society were created as was overdependency. I have been told in post offices that one of the 64 or 65 social welfare payments is for a washing machine and that everyone in the country is applying for it because it is a €300 payment that is easy to get. This definitely needs to be examined because it has been pointed out to me by people working in post offices that it is being abused.

I compliment the Minister on her work on social welfare inspectors because we must follow fraud. Senator Leyden raised the issue of e-signatures and photographs. I apologise for having intervened when he was speaking but I spent Monday and Tuesday at a European meeting about this in Copenhagen. It is quite difficult to introduce e-signatures because we must ensure they are secure and cannot be hacked. How advanced are we in ensuring it will be a secure method? At present the largest area of growth throughout the EU is the digital single market. However, it is the slowest area to introduce because of the structural change required for it to work effectively.

It is mad that a person can live in another country and claim social welfare benefits here. I know EU rules about this exist. Is it now the case that child benefit can be claimed while the child is living abroad if one parent is working here?