Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Naughten for tabling this very important and timely motion. Since the Budget Statement was delivered in the House last week, many people have contacted my office. Deputy Stanton is right in what he said about the people the Government hit. The blind, people with disabilities and carers are the people who cannot represent themselves. The Government got a major lesson last year when it tried to take the medical card from the over 70s and when those people protested outside this House. If the people whose social welfare payments were cut last week had the health and ability to be able to come out and show their vengeance against the Government, I have no doubt that it would reverse the social welfare cuts and support the Fine Gael motion before the House tonight.

Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the so-called Independents have hit the most vulnerable in society, carers, the blind and the disabled. I have observed Fianna Fáil in recent years. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, whom people thought was great, was the man who was meant to look after people with disabilities. He introduced the Disability Act and was a champion for people with disabilities. Many of the Members opposite were the same. These were the people who stood up for people with disabilities. It is unbelievable that they have cut allowances for blind people. I was given a gift in life, the gift of sight. Unlike me, many others were not given that gift. I would have liked the Minister to have closed his eyes when walking from his office to the Chamber on budget day in order to feel what it would be like to be blind for that five-minute walk. I wonder if he might have changed his mind then.

I met a group of carers a number of months ago. Their commitment to their loved ones is something I have never previously witnessed. The work they do and the commitment, care and attention they give their loved ones is unbelievable. Ministers sat around the Cabinet table and supported the budget, and when it came to the Government backbenchers they also supported it. It is unbelievable how some of these people can talk out of both sides of their mouths. With all their utterances about people with disabilities, carers and the blind, if they had any standards in politics, they would have spoken out against the budget and voted against it. Earlier tonight, Deputy M. J. Nolan from Carlow spoke about how the savings needed to be made and the Minister played the cards she had been dealt. It was absolute rubbish.

While I might have heard Deputy Cyprian Brady wrong, I believe he asked whether they would get this money back. However, these people will never get the money back. It must be most annoying for people to see millions of euro being given to the banks, electronic voting machines, PPARS in the health service and the pensions and wastage of money in FÁS.

I am very lucky not to have a member of my family or anyone connected to me who is blind. My mother was a carer for my father and I know the work she put in and the commitment she gave my father before he went into a nursing home. No member of my family has a major disability. However, I know plenty of people who have family members with disabilities. It is unbelievable that the Government would do what it did last week and that a Minister would have the gall to cut the social welfare benefits of people who are blind or have major disabilities and of carers. While most of the Members opposite have not bothered to come in for the debate, if they are listening on their monitors and if they have any heart at all, I ask them to support the Fine Gael motion tonight.

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