There have been numerous ongoing issues with illness benefit payments, which the Taoiseach and Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, assured us had been sorted out. However, many clients are still waiting and being left without payments as a result of simple errors being made by the Department. One such applicant, who has had his payments delayed for three or four weeks, was assured by the Minister's office via my office last Monday that his payment would be issued in two to three working days. His payment was not received this morning and when we inquired about the matter we were told someone had not pressed a button. This is outrageous. This morning, we learn that the Taoiseach has spent €1.74 million on communications and spin in the past 17 months, whereas the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, spent only €116,000 on spin in 15 months. It is all about spin and image. What about the people who cannot get their payments? It is a disgraceful reflection on the Department's performance that someone did not press a button. That is little good to a family that cannot put food on the table, while the Taoiseach spends €1.74 million on his image and spin. It is outrageous.

I assure the Deputy that no one pushes buttons in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

That is what we are told.

We had some serious difficulties with payments for a number of weeks but, thankfully, payments have resumed to normal levels in recent weeks.

They have not.

Some 50,000 people who are entitled to illness benefit receive their benefit weekly. I reiterate that there will always be instances in which people do not get payments for whatever particular reason.

It is shameful.

Some non-payments may be as a result of human error, whether on the part of the person making the application, the doctor issuing a certificate or the employee in the Department.

It is ineptitude and laziness.

There will always be such cases. Thankfully, they are small in number.

There is nothing to be thankful about.

We have resumed normal business.