Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish Martin all the best.

I want to raise two items with the Leader. Last week I stated I understood, not through any announcement by the Minister for Social Protection but from a local school in Swords, that the exceptional needs payment to cover religious events was to cease in 2013. The Minister and the Department of Social Protection did not see fit to issue any advice on the matter. The Department had contacted the schools in my area to inform them that in respect of any parent who previously had received a payment up to a maximum of ¤242, which figure was cut to ¤110 last year, the payment was to cease in full. That is a fact. I have received a response to a letter I have written to the Minister which states the Department has confirmed that the exceptional needs payment will no longer cover religious events because they do not qualify as unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. Religious events such as first holy communion and confirmation, to give the two examples, do not qualify as being exceptional.

All of us are aware of the secular agenda within the Labour Party. I respect those of all religious faiths and none and ask the Minister for Social Protection and her Labour Party colleagues to respect the fact that first holy communion and confirmation are important exceptional events for those within the Catholic community. There are no payments for these events. I agree that schools should do their level best to reduce costs and that there are pressures on parents and children at these times, but I will always remember my first holy communion and confirmation and cannot understand the reason the payments are to cease.

I would like the matter discussed. I wonder why the Minister for Social Protection did not see fit that this should be done. That is disgraceful because what is happening is that families who cannot afford these payments on two very special days for their children will not receive any payment.

I thank the Chair for his indulgence. I draw to the attention of the House a matter which will be debated during our Private Members motion tomorrow, namely, the whole area of policing and justice. I ask the Leader to raise with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, the minutes of the Dublin Central area joint policing committee meeting of 10 December 2012 which note for the north inner city area of Dublin, that a directive has been issued to the Courts Service to reduce the number of custodial sentences being given for burglary crimes. It was agreed that a letter be issued to the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, expressing the committee's objection to the directive. All of us, leaving party politics aside, would be absolutely disgusted and shocked if we found out, as per these minutes of a joint policing committee meeting in the north inner city, that a directive had gone from the Department of Justice and Equality to the Courts Service stating that it should effectively reduce the number of custodial sentences being given for burglary crimes. That is not on. I want to get to the bottom of this issue and I will do so, if the Minister comes to the House tomorrow.

Has the Leader any information as to whether the Minister will take the Private Members motion tomorrow? If so, I will put the issue to him directly. If this is true, I ask the Leader to investigate the issue and I have written to the Minister today. This is a departure about which I am absolutely shocked. What is being implied is that burglary is not a serious crime. What the Department has indicated in its directive to the Courts Service is that it should go easy on burglaries and ensure there are reduced custodial sentences. I do not think any of us would be happy with that. Certainly the people of the north inner city would not be happy with the directive. I wonder whether any other area joint policing committee has received the same directive? I ask the Leader, through his good offices, to make inquiries. If this directive has been issued it should be withdrawn immediately.