Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator O'Brien also asked for clarification about exceptional needs payments. As I have explained previously, such payments are made when essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from his or her weekly income, arises. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The Government has provided almost ¤48 million for payments in this regard in 2013. The guidelines mentioned by the Senator have been issued to the staff who administer this scheme. It is recommended that the payment of the allowance in respect of specific religious ceremonies, mainly communion and confirmation ceremonies, will cease from 2013. Applications can continue to be made under the scheme for assistance with children's clothing. This measure will ensure that the exceptional needs payment scheme continues to respond to specific needs, rather than to specific occasions. These recommendations to not affect the discretion available to officers administering the scheme, in issuing an exceptional needs payment, to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.

I hope that clarifies the situation for the Senator.

Quite a number of Members rightly raised the question of the McAleese report into the Magdalen laundries. I do not intend to respond to all the points made. We will endeavour to have a debate in this House within two weeks. As soon as the Minister is available to come in, we will have him in, and the request has gone in already.

As was mentioned, the Government acted as soon as it was elected in having this report commissioned. The concerns of these vulnerable women have been dismissed for decades. There is no question from reading part of the report that the State was complicit - it specifically states that 26% of those who became residents of the Magdalen laundries did so through State processes, judicial State care, etc. There is no question that there was State collusion in this.

I would hope we will have a debate on the report. We should treat the report with the measure of calmness and consideration which I believe it deserves. It is a very comprehensive report. I am sure this House will have a very considered, measured and informed debate, as we usually do on subjects such as this. It is unfortunate that we have had need for other reports in recent years, such as the Ryan report and others, which has certainly been a blight on the country. We should wait and have that calm and considered debate in a couple of weeks.

Senators Whelan and Kelly called for a debate on the health service strategy. I will ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to address the whole area of reform of the health services. As the Minister said, change is not optional; it is essential. The Minister would suggest, and I agree with him, that a lot of change has taken place already but there is a hell of a lot more to be done - there is no question about that. I will ask him to come to the House for a debate on the progress that has been made to date and what the strategy is for the future.

I can assure Senator MacSharry that free GP care will be introduced in the term of this Government.