Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter.

This is a very recent development relating to the Dano case taken by a Romanian national against the German state which refused to pay her unemployment benefit. According to what I read, the person in question was refusing to seek work and felt that the state should still be obliged to pay her unemployment benefit. The European Court of Justice, the highest court in the European Union, has found in favour of Germany, which has implications. The original reaction to the European Court of Justice decision predictably enough came from the Tory party in Britain and the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, MP, who welcomed it on the basis that it was common sense. It also raises the spectre of a continuing campaign to change the fundamental law of the European Union regarding the free movement of persons across the European Union, which UKIP in particular wants to see changed and which the British Conservative Party will press in the context of - as it puts it - reform of the European Union.

Given our close proximity to the United Kingdom and our growing closeness across a range of areas, it was inevitable that this question would come up. If the UK Government were to introduce legislation on foot of the European Court of Justice ruling, as I understand Germany and some other countries will do, it will have implications for immigration policy in general. It will also obviously have an impact on how social welfare in the United Kingdom is paid.

Given the close links between us and because of the close co-operation between the British and Irish social security systems, I was naturally anxious to get some clarity as to the response of the Government and in particular that of the Department of Social Protection. How will the Government respond? Will it involve legislation similar to the proposed UK model? In general, will it affect the payment of unemployment benefit or other social welfare payments to those from other parts of the European Union coming to this country to live?

On a related matter, does the Minister of State believe welfare tourism is an issue? The perception seems to be that it is an issue in the United Kingdom.