Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----in the overall context of solidarity and poverty. We have a poverty crisis in every constituency in the country. We can blame whomever we like for that poverty. The Government has a responsibility to defend the rights of every citizen and not just the rich and the bankers. We should have a debate on where that money is spent and whether the Government has carried out any economic appraisals of how the money is spent. The information made available to me is that no such appraisal has been carried out.

I ask the Leader to facilitate a debate in the presence of the Minister for Justice and Equality and any other relevant Minister on the issue of private investigations and private investigators. A newspaper article on the subject was published earlier this week. Over the weekend I met three families on whom private investigative reports had been carried out by insurance companies, by a bank and by the HSE. Some of the information collated by the insurance company was used by the Department of Social Protection in making a decision on whether an individual was entitled to carer's allowance, which is disgraceful behaviour. It is a totally unregulated industry. Not only were the individuals followed by private investigators, who are paid approximately €100 an hour, but children were followed, and photographs and video recordings were taken. Movements, including following people to the toilet, were observed in cafeterias. I have read some of the report. It is alarming.