Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It also takes into account that the person can only work part-time and must engage with activation measures. This is a progressive measure. Well done by the Minister.

Section 11 is interesting. The Minister is looking to authenticate identity for personal public service, PPS, numbers and public service cards. How advanced is this process and when will it be complete? This is critical to ward against fraud. A photo and an electronic signature will be required. Is that better than fingerprinting, which applies in other jurisdictions? The Minister might comment on that. The electronic signature interested me because we are very behind in this compared with the rest of Europe. I was at an EU meeting which pointed out that if electronic signatures were in place across the EU, as part of a services directive we could gain 2% growth in GDP because we would be able to engage in business across the EU. Not only Ireland but every country needs to do this. I presume once the Minister introduces this measure, it will help us to meet our services directive obligations across the EU. This must be completed as soon as possible.

Section 12 mentions the directors with 50% or more shareholding who are being moved to a PRSI class contribution. How much will that be and what benefits will these people gain? The self-employed person has been treated badly in this country, as the Minister has acknowledged, especially when their income falls or their business folds.

I refer to section 13. Will the Minister explain a little better about the income disregard for the rental and mortgage income supplement? Why does this apply to some but not all income? It is very good that the PPS number is being broadened to take into account things such as property tax, etc. I commend the Minister on the notice of attachment which will keep us out of the courts as much as possible.

The issue of amendments to the Civil Registration Act 2004 is a big one and I have a big question for the Minister. I have been lobbying for this for a long time, as she knows, though possibly not for what the Minister might be thinking about in this regard. There are two parts to this, the first being to enable online searching for genealogy purposes. I presume when the Minister gives access to the register of deaths and marriages, etc, the people under consideration are no longer living. That is important for data protection.

What I look to the Minister to amend in the Civil Registration Act 2004 concerns the registration of deaths abroad. We have had conversations about this, both public and private. Our Irish citizens who die abroad while on holidays and who carry Irish passports do not have their deaths registered in this country. The trauma and grief and the lack of closure for grieving families in this area are considerable. I have met the Minister's principal officer in the Department and I know she is moving on this. If she referred to this in the summary, it would be truly appreciated. There are people waiting for this response today, as I speak. In the last term in this House, the social protection committee had a very long session where families came before the Chair to talk about the closure it would bring to their grief if they knew that their Irish children, husbands and wives who had died abroad could at least have their deaths registered here.

On the issue in Part 4, under section 60-----