Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I welcome the Minister and his officials. I thank them for the level of detail that was given to the committee members prior to the meeting. The amount of work that has gone into it is incredible, down to the last cent so to speak, in order that we can analyse this detail properly. That our views are taken on board demonstrates a new politics and I welcome it greatly.

Many of the areas have been covered, especially regarding low-income families. Items that I would like to see retained or increased include travel passes. I welcome the introduction of the scheme for the self-employed. Anybody who is self-employed in this country is entitled to the same security and benefits as his or her employees. I also welcome the fact that our figures for self-employment since 2010 are up 5% in quarter 1 this year. We have more than 325,000 people who are self-employed. Those people are entitled to the same security as their employees. I would also like to see the extension of the dental treatment benefit and an increase in the living alone allowance. I know that this is a big shopping list and we might not get it all, but there might be increases in some of them. I very much welcome the working family payment.

I also want to mention the positives. In the first six months of this new Government, we have had announcements of measures such as microfinance loans, which will help families on small incomes to offset many of their small debts. If they have small purchases that they need to make, it keeps them away from moneylenders as well. I very much welcome the paternity benefit scheme. I would have welcomed it back in 2008. I believe every mother deserves help for two weeks from their partner. The extra sleep would also have been welcomed. It is a huge step for this Government to support families behind their hall doors. The housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme is very welcome. What is completely different about it is that the rent supplement, which was only supposed to be an interim measure, actually prohibits people from going back into the workplace, whereas the HAP scheme allows people back into the workplace. I believe we need to explore that further or carry out some kind of awareness campaign because I do not think people are that au faitwith it in certain areas. It is a welcome scheme. I know it has to be rolled out in three local authorities at the beginning of next year. They will be the final ones. I look forward to that coming to Dún Laoghaire.

I also welcome the rent supplement increase on a discretionary basis. We are obviously very aware of certain areas in the capital and in counties such as Cork where rent is extremely expensive. I welcome that it is on a discretionary and case-by-case basis and that it is now being explored to an intensive level.

I would also like to see an increase in disability benefit, which is deserved by that quiet cohort of people. I know the Minister is examining the possibility of increasing the Christmas bonus and I would welcome that. It is crucial for many people and a large volume of people attending our clinics depend on it each Christmas. There is currently a lot of interest in that matter.

What further measures are being taken to tackle long-term unemployment? Are further measures being considered to help those who have been employed for over a year? I would like a breakdown of those figures.

I hope the Minister will explore the possibility of extending the number of people who are exempt from the USC. Perhaps there is scope to include more people on low incomes. I think it currently concerns those earning up to €18,600 per annum. I welcome measures that will positively affect people at home, giving them a better quality of life, especially those on low incomes.