Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Where is the justice for older people, who have served this country so well for so many years, when the Government treats them in this despicable way? There has been nothing but disappointment for the old in this country. I wish the Tánaiste well in attempting to address this. She told us some years ago that all of the saving on the SSIAs —€600 million — would go towards the development of elder care services, but that has not happened. The Tánaiste lost that debate at Cabinet with her Fianna Fáil colleagues.

After nine years of golden opportunity we have not delivered enough to those people who really need it. Too little has changed for those caught in the cycle of disadvantage. Early school leaving is at the same level now as it was eight and a half years ago. More children now fail to make the transition from primary to secondary school than was the case then. How can we say we are serving the country and families under stress fairly when we fail to address those issues?

Thousands are still going without basic necessities and housing injustice is rampant. Many are trapped in the rented sector; if they are on supplementary allowance and go out to work, they lose everything. Where is the justice in that? The Minister announced he would increase tax relief for those in rented accommodation by 57 cent per week. That is the sum total of largesse for those under pressure in the private rented sector. That is the reality these people face. They have been disappointed by the social housing programme, the affordable housing programme and every other programme, and then the Minister comes up with 57 cent a week, which does not address the need.

There is another, hidden need that has not been addressed. One in four people will need psychiatric intervention to cope with their mental health problems at some stage in their lives. The Government has signally failed to develop a service capable of meeting that pressure and the opportunity for early intervention, which is critically important in the treatment of many, is lost in the case of thousands with mental health illnesses. Targets should have been set for these people the day the Government parties took up office and we should be looking back and reflecting on a decade of achievement, but that has not happened.

I welcome social welfare increases of €17 per week generally and €14 per week for pensioners, but the reality should not be forgotten. The Government will take back at least €4 in indirect taxes. Increasing rents will take another €2 and fuel costs have increased by 50% since the fuel allowance was last increased. The allowance should have been increased by at least €8 or €9 per week instead of the measly €5 that has been granted. Pressure is maintained through increased health charges, including an increase in the cost of doctors' visits, many of which must be borne by those on welfare. Where a person in the household of a social welfare recipient has an income, the recipient does not qualify for a medical card. Despite a decade of significant economic success, the Government is saying a person on the minimum wage is too wealthy to have a medical card.

The Taoiseach is correct in detecting that a new partnership with the community is needed but sensing the need for change does not deliver it. The Minister for Finance has delivered the old approach, which is focused narrowly. Too many families are struggling with problems he is not addressing, including separation, substance abuse, mental illness and caring. A more modern welfare system is needed, which recognises these pressures and which not only focuses on issues such as unemployment and illness but supports families through difficult periods. New models of co-operation with the many voluntary agencies working in the field without whose help these deep-seated problems cannot be addressed are needed. However, the budget does not provide for a new departure in welfare and community policy.

I refer again to the old problem of Government efficiency. If the Government was efficient, more could be done in the State. Unfortunately, the Government has become the core of rip-off. It is at the heart of what it should be defending and championing the consumer against. Every time Eddie Hobbs turned over a stone, the fattest worm to come wriggling out had been put there by the Government. Whether one is buying a car, using credit cards, driving on tolled roads or eating out, the Government's hand is stretching deep into one's pocket to make it dearer here than anywhere else in Europe. Ireland has become the most expensive country in Europe, but food, clothing, furniture and equipment prices are not driving up the cost of living because they are all falling relative to the rest of Europe. Government sponsored services are driving up the cost of living in Ireland.

Since the 2002 election, the Government has increased various charges by 86%, which has cost the average household almost €1,500. Government-run utilities have increased their charges by more than 40%, costing the average household €950. These stealth taxes amount to €50 per week, which wipes out entirely the €20 a week concession offered to most people in the budget by the Minister for Finance.

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