Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

No, what I am saying is that there obviously is an issue here. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul does fantastic work on behalf of all of us. Its members are out and about meeting people and they know what they are talking about. I read carefully the society's pre-budget submission in which it made many strong points which, like all other submissions, will be taken into account in the budgetary context.

I stated in my reply that food costs and fuel price increases had amounted to 12.8% since January 2002 but in the same period social welfare rates, including fuel allowance rates, increased cumulatively by between 33% and37%. While the fuel allowance has not increased, the overall increases have far surpassed the costs involved. In the context of the forthcoming budget, the submission from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will be taken fully into account.

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