Family Income Supplement Uptake
Dr. McCarthy challenged the low uptake of the Family Income Supplement, citing 4,663 recipients against an expected 35,000; the Chair ruled this outside the child benefit question.
As Deputy Griffin said, I am totally innocent; I would not even think remotely about doing something like that. The Minister mentioned earlier the family income supplement. We all know that the family income supplement was one of the national jokes. It was supposed to give benefit to 35,000 low income families. It was introduced in October 1984, backdated to the previous September, to allow poor Deputy Bell a chance to keep on stream. Does the Minister realise that of the 35,000 families to benefit on that date only 4,663 have benefited to date? That is a discrepancy of 30,500. I would hate to be making mistakes——
