John O'Mahony (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to obtain clarification from the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding a particular matter. I was recently approached by a person who received an award from the redress board and who is on a means-tested social welfare payment. The person was informed that their case would be reassessed as a result of the award from the board. That is absolutely crazy. Those who have received money from the redress board may have worked in the Magdalen laundries, or may have been abused or exploited in other ways, and are dependent on the social welfare payments to which they are entitled. I shudder to think that people's entitlements might be taken away because of money they received in respect of exploitation that took place many years ago. The position must be clarified and the matter corrected if that to which I refer proves to be the case. The person who made representations to me about it was told by health board officials that it was the case. I would like to get clarification as soon as possible.