Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I would never argue we have delivered a utopian society or that all inequalities have been eliminated. As a Member of this House for 23 years I admit more progress must be made in a range of areas. Our country is a fairer, better, more prosperous place for more of our people than ever before. These Estimates, with the fiscal provisions of the forthcoming budget, will ensure we do not deviate from the course we are on, which will deliver growth rates of 5% next year, more than twice the European average.

Next year the Government will spend €48.5 billion on running the country. This is approximately €3 billion more than last year and will allow for an extensive additional injection of investment in public services. Fianna Fáil has always been a socially inclusive party and our republican philosophy dictates that the fruits of our economic prosperity be spread as evenly as possible all over the country. The focus of these Estimates show we are firmly wedded to this course. Priority is being given to key areas of social impact, namely, health, education and social welfare. Nearly €2 billion, or 70%, of the additional moneys will be spent on these three areas.

Lest we be in any doubt on our consistency in promoting social inclusion over the past seven years, the following facts are worth restating. We successfully introduced the highest minimum wage in Europe, over 90% of which is tax free. Since 1997, almost 420,000 people have been removed altogether from the tax net. Our unemployment rate is the lowest in the EU with long-term unemployment cut by 80%. There are almost 400,000 people at work in this country. We doubled social welfare spending, delivering the most generous social welfare improvements since the establishment of the welfare state. Child benefit trebled and old age pensions increased by almost 60%.

Understandably, the Deputies opposite will gloss over these facts as they attempt to mislead and misinterpret. When the two main parties of the rainbow were last in government, namely, Fine Gael and Labour, they insulted our senior citizens with a paltry €1.60 increase in old age pensions. If we looked at history books we could dig much deeper. What a disastrous way our pensioners were treated under those desperate people.

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