Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is eight years so far.

I call for the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to come into the House because after the bluff and bluster from the Government and Fianna Fáil yesterday, I want to talk about the reality in Limerick. I cite a real life example of a 19 year old lady who is eight months pregnant and earns €100 a week, which was halved by the Leader's Government. She has to give €30 of that to the housing assistance payment. She lives in a flea-infested hovel. She has to give another €45 each week to her landlord to make up the difference in terms of the HAP payment. When she went to the community welfare officer on two occasions she was told, six weeks before she is due to give birth, that she should declare herself homeless and move into a shelter. That is the reality of the Government's response on the ground. That lady has no support from family or anybody, and that is not her fault. It is what the community welfare officer said to her. She has no money each week to eat. Thankfully, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul intervened to ensure she has some food as of Monday. That is the reality on the ground for people in Limerick today, and it is nothing less than an absolute disgrace. I ask the Leader to bring the Minister into the House with the utmost urgency because our people are being let down daily by his Government.