David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

On Tuesday, I called for a debate on poverty and the Leader replied that the Minister for Social Protection would attend the House to deal with the broad issues in her portfolio. I do not believe that will do justice to a debate on the causes of poverty, which I was seeking.

I call for this debate in the context of a number of published reports, the Social Justice Ireland report, the report of the Commission on Credit Unions, and a CSO report, all of which point to the growing gap between rich and poor. Many low-income households have less disposable income now than they had last year and in previous years. Yesterday, the IMF representative, Mr. Beaumont called for a re-examination of medical cards, and for child benefit and social welfare rates to be cut. These people have no grasp of reality and have no idea how these cuts would impact on the lowest income earners in this State. The gentleman who made that call yesterday should have been asked what he thinks is an acceptable rate. What level of cut would he apply to the social welfare rate? He should then have been asked if he could live on that amount of money.

A person on social welfare receives €188 a week. We are targeting the low paid and people on social welfare when cuts and adjustments are being made, but there is no call coming from the IMF on the higher earners.

I ask the Leader to contact the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the 253 former workers of the hops breweries in Dundalk and Kilkenny whose negotiations for proper redundancy packages has run into a brick wall? It is important that these workers get compensation from the very profitable Diageo. Will the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation intervene to ensure the workers get proper compensation?