In regards to @rtenews article about the 104 people who have lost their PUP payments since June, I lost mine in May after having visited my partner who I had not seen in 15 weeks! I left the country for 9 days! As I waited at the airport gate to board my flight

2. Two members of an Garda Síochána approached me claiming to be performing an ‘immigration check’ despite the fact I was leaving the country! Not entering! They asked for my ID! Not once did they ask for my PPS or PRSI number! Yet upon my return to the country 9 days later

3. my payments had been stopped! When I contacted Dept of Social Protection, they said:-
“We can see that you boarded a Ryanair flight on May 7th at 5:25pm to Glasgow”. No warnings, no explainations! And that I was not entitled to receive the payment again!

4. I had to contact both of my local TD’s Carol Nolan and @BrianStanleyTD, and I also sent a letter to then minister @ReginaDo explaining my situation! It took 6 weeks for my payments to be reinstated however my 6 weeks of arrears have yet to paid!

5. There is no consideration for people who are in relationships with people who live outside the state or those of us who work abroad for a living but were fully Tax compliant in Ireland all the time! Serious questions to be raised here in terms of Data Protection