Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

This is being undertaken. We are fully committed to tapering as opposed to immediate withdrawal of any allowance. Tapering was introduced in the recent budget in a dramatic way and I will continue the practice. The Deputy would not be very enthusiastic about indexation if he considered it further. If welfare benefits were to be indexed to inflation or even to wages, the recipients would be worse off. For example, child benefit has doubled in approximately four years and no indexation would have increased it to that extent. I know it is a neat argument for discussion but I think they are doing better without formal indexation.

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