Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I agree with Deputy Kelleher that the whole issue of where and how child care can be provided has been over-regulated. It will put out of business the motherly neighbour who provides care for one or two families and who is not providing the service from a cash driven point of view. There is an emphasis on making the child care issue a commercial and clinical entity. I am not sure it is heading in the right direction.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which provides for a number of outstanding measures introduced in the 2005 budget, the consequent changes in the social welfare code, which will come into effect in 2005, and the changes to the Pensions Act 1990. The child benefit increases announced in the budget are provided for in the Bill. These were relatively generous increases of between €10 and €12, which must be acknowledged. However, there is a degree of catching up to be done in regard to child benefit if we are to get back into synch with the lofty aims of An Agreed Programme for Government 2002. This programme undertook to complete the Government's programme of multi-annual child benefit increases, which had already fallen into arrears by the 2002 general election. The manifesto also undertook to ensure there would be no returning to the days of minor and occasional increases. However, with increases of €8 and €6 in respect of the 2003 and 2004 budgets, the arrears have continued to mount. This year's increase should have been doubled if we were to get back on track. Child benefit is vital in assisting parents, particularly mothers, with their household budgeting. It is sad to see the slow rate of progress in regard to something as important as child benefit.

Improvements in disability benefit is one aspect of the recent budget which could be termed the most disability orientated budget ever in its provision of multi-annual envelopes of additional expenditure. However, the disability movement is underwhelmed by the improvements in the budget. It is virtually unanimous in its view that it is all too little too late. The disability provisions, which confer conditional rights in regard to services, has only served to compound the position. The State can opt out of providing services if it has not got the finance to do so. When money is tight the weakest suffer. Child care and respite hours will be cut back, which is one of the serious drawbacks when money is tight. It is undoubtedly true that the disabled received a raw deal from successive Governments. They have been patronised and discriminated against, and generally thrown a few crumbs. Nowadays the disability movement is much more militant and organised. There is an open revolt because of what it sees as an utterly inadequate and insulting disability Bill. Any Government that fails to defer to the aims and objectives of the disabled will do so at its peril at the polls.

I accept the Minister is well disposed to improving the lot of disabled people. I welcome the proposal in section 8 of the Bill to introduce a means-tested payment of up to €35 per week for persons resident in institutions. Prior to this, most residents in institutions were precluded from receiving the disability allowance, and the Minister's recognition of this is to be commended. It will give them a sense of independence. It will also give them a sense of dignity and power to be able to purchase items they might require, which is welcome. There is no doubt that during the peak years of the Celtic tiger economy only a tiny proportion of benefits percolated down to the weakest and most vulnerable people in society. The emphasis on disability in budget 2005 represents the first effort to set this right and to treat disabled persons with equanimity.

Improvements in the respite grants scheme are heralded in section 7 of the Bill. The respite care grant is being increased from €845 to €1,000 in respect of each care recipient. Respite care offers the families of children or adults temporary relief, enabling them to recharge their batteries. Respite care gives families a welcome break from the constant physical and mental strain of caring at home on a full-time basis for children or adults with physical or intellectual disability. These people provide an invaluable service to the State and the service should never be threatened. A grave funding crux has arisen in the north east region of the newly established Health Service Executive, which threatens the future of respite care at St. John of God Services, Drumcar, County Louth.

In February 2003, after several years of under-funding, there was a tripartite agreement between the Department of Health and Children, the North Eastern Health Board and St. John of God Services. It was agreed that an additional 94 full-time nursing staff would be required to maintain services, including respite services, at the current basic level. Funding for more than 30 nursing staff was provided with no sign of funding for the additional 64 staff who were regarded under the tripartite agreement as being absolutely necessary to maintain the basic level of services. Respite services at St. John of God's, Drumcar, face imminent closure in the next few days unless the Government rescues the services immediately. The closure of this service would be an absolute tragedy. The St. John of God Order has performed heroically. It has dipped into its own budget to the tune of €1.2 million to try to save the respite services. I have no doubt the Minister will agree that this position is unsustainable for the order, which has reached the end of its tether. The problem is that the weakest will suffer. It is the easiest group to target when resources are scarce. The Government's response to this crisis will be a measure of its commitment to the maintenance of respite services.

I call for the immediate implementation of the remainder of the 2003 tripartite agreement to maintain the essential services for disabled persons and their carers.

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