Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have been trying to make the point to the Minister at Question Time and in various debates that the changes are a disincentive to lone parents to go out to work. This has been confirmed. Do the delegates agree with this point?

I do not understand why, if they can engage in equality proofing in Tanzania and Uganda, we cannot do so here. It goes a long way to explaining why we are looking at these things in isolation and not looking at the cumulative impact for poorer families. It is little wonder that the past three budgets have been regressive. No Minister deliberately sat down and decided to introduce a regressive budget that would hurt the poor more than the rich, but if one decides these things in isolation, without taking account of the cumulative benefit, making cutbacks will necessarily lead to regressive budgets.