The Tánaiste might address the question of timing which Deputy Kelleher raised. When can we expect to see this pickpocket legislation? Not to rehearse all that has gone before, the Tánaiste does a great disservice to those working-class families that are struggling by landing another bill on their mat and strong-arming them in this way. She knows that full well.

Just to correct the record of the Dáil, the Tánaiste mentioned poverty levels in west Belfast. Poverty levels are significant there, but actually the constituency of Foyle has the biggest difficulties with poverty in the North. As the Tánaiste knows, that has been an SDLP stronghold for 40 years-----

The Labour Party's sister party.

-----so if she is making a party political point, which is not helpful on issues of poverty, I want to put that on the record.

There are elections today in the North and across Britain. What level of priority does the Tánaiste attach to an early meeting with the incoming British Administration? The last four years have been marked by absolute disengagement by her Government in terms of the North. Once the new British Government is in situ, can we anticipate a debate in this House about developments in the North, the peace process, our obligations and our ambitions for that part of the country?

The Tánaiste may be aware that over the last week there has been a series of very serious attacks on Sinn Féin MLAs and candidates. There have been four attacks, including an attack on the home of Martin McGuinness. There have been seven bomb and death threats to MLAs and candidates. The Taoiseach, after being very quiet on this issue, has made his position clear and has condemned absolutely such activities under any circumstances, but particularly in the midst of an electoral campaign. I invite the Tánaiste to put on the record her position on that and, I hope, roundly condemn those who have targeted these individuals in this way.

Members of this Government have been very familiar with attacks being made in relation to political issues, in cyberspace, at events and so on.

There is no comparison with what I have described.

Of course I absolutely condemn any attack, anywhere, on any public representative. The fact that people's children and grandchildren were at home when some of these attacks were made, as was the case with the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, is particularly reprehensible. I do not know whether the attacks were political or whether the attackers had other motives - that is for the police to establish - but it is deeply unpleasant, dangerous and potentially deadly in the context of the North, where so much work has been done across the spectrum to bring peace and to resolve political issues by peaceful means and through parliamentary democracy. Like the Taoiseach, I send my sympathy to the families and individuals affected and I absolutely condemn any attack such as that on any elected representative who is taking part in democracy.

Regarding the timing of the legislation to which the Deputy referred, it will be this session, but I do not have an exact timetable. As soon as this is available, it will be published by the Government. On the subject of debt, the Department of Social Protection has very well established mechanisms under legislation to protect people's social welfare payments where they are paying, as many people do on a voluntary basis, using the household budgeting scheme, which we run in conjunction with An Post. This a very popular service and it is of enormous assistance to people in managing bills such as rent and so on if they have a local authority house. We have a long tradition of doing that. It is embedded in legislation and carried out in a very careful and supportive way by thousands of social welfare staff who work very hard to give the best service possible to people who are in difficulty, and in particular, although Deputy McDonald may not agree, to help people who unfortunately have lost their jobs due to the collapse in the economy in returning to work, going back to education or starting their own businesses.