Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

All the points made have one thing in common, namely, that they all cost a few bob. I had to make choices in this budget, as one does in every one. I have made those choices and will have to stand over those as priorities. Regarding carer's allowance for the self-employed, that group is not specifically banned from receiving it, but they may only work up to ten hours a week, a figure that has now risen to 15. One will not be able to engage in much self-employment in ten to 15 hours per week. They are not specifically excluded, however.

On exempting family income supplement from the means test for the back to school allowance, FIS is part of one's income, albeit a top-up. As such, it is probably all right to consider it as part of one's income. I am not sure what scope I have left to pay maternity benefits from January, given that the sums are locked into the budget arithmetic.

Deputy Stanton asked why the living alone allowance was not being increased. That has not moved for a long time, and not only I but successive Ministers have preferred to put money into the rate. There is also a social issue. Even saying this out loud can land one in all sorts of trouble, but if one is on a living alone allowance and we keep raising it, one suffers the effect of losing it more if one later resides with someone.

The question is whether we should promote living alone as a social strategy. That argument has certainly put me off for the moment. If elderly people who are obviously living alone by choice need extra funds, I would prefer to give it to them in fuel allowance or directly in the rate rather than giving them another payment and stipulating another requirement about how they must live, namely, that they may not have a partner in the house if that is their choice. I am aware that even putting it like that can be emotional, but that is the thinking behind leaving it alone for the moment. We want to get the money to the same person in an unconditional manner whereby he or she receives it simply by virtue of being of pensionable age.

I agree with the Deputy regarding simplification. Some of it is a nightmare. All one need do is listen to Deputy Penrose for five minutes——

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