Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Deputy Durkan.

I will begin positively. I welcome a number of changes in the budget, particularly where carers are concerned. We are waiting to see what the ground rules and regulations will be but the Minister will announce them shortly.

The Minister increased the disregard for those on the household benefit scheme who were in receipt of a second pension from €50 to €100 a week, which I welcome, but the time has come to abolish the means test for the fuel allowance. If one is in receipt of a second pension from a county council, health board or the ESB, one should not be refused the fuel allowance, which is small anyway. The Minister should examine this issue.

Deputy Dennehy referred to the free travel scheme, which will operate on an all-Ireland basis. However, I would like the Minister to put a scheme in place where citizens in rural Ireland could use their travel vouchers to take taxis. There is no Luas in rural Ireland, infrastructure is poor and Iarnród Éireann provides a poor service. I have raised this issue frequently over many years. When will the Minister bring in a taxi voucher scheme for people who do not have access to public transport in rural Ireland? It is a genuine proposal, which should be adopted. Taxi use has expanded and people avail of taxis more frequently. Ten years ago we only heard about taxis in Dublin. There are enough brains and computers in the Department. Why can the officials not put a scheme in place so that people can use travel vouchers for taxis?

The Minister made an announcement in the budget debate about mobile telephones and the household package, which he has been talking about for three years. I hope the package will be before the House quickly because most people have a mobile telephone and significant numbers of people no longer have a land line. The Minister's officials and officials from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government appeared before the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs a number of months ago to discuss the most important issue facing elderly people, which is the cost of their refuse service. The household benefit scheme should include the cost of the refuse service. Mayo County Council handed this service over to the private sector this week and no waiver scheme will be in place for the elderly, as a result of which we will have problems down the road.

As I stated on local radio earlier, the time has come for a debate in the House on local government and democracy. If the Government continues to take away powers from local authorities, will there be any need for them? County managers are selected, not elected, and elected members have no powers. There should be a debate before the election to see which party will give back powers to elected representatives and remove them from selected officials.

I have called for the three schemes dealing with the child dependant allowance to be brought together time and again and I compliment the Minister on doing it. Children were being discriminated against with three different payments being made — €21.60, €19.30 and €16.80. The Minister has rounded the payment up to €22 and while people on the higher rate have lost out, at least the Minister has recognised that a common denominator is needed and all children are equal in the eyes of the State. I hope the rate will increase next year.

Widows have not been looked after again. They have been let down by the State for many years. They are the forgotten people and something must be done for them. Given that funding is available, it is time a pension was provided for stay at home mothers who decide they want to raise their family. They should be rewarded for the job they do in their homes and for society. They should not be forgotten and left to depend on their mean husbands in some cases. A number of women come into my clinics whose husbands, despite having plenty of money, will not give it to them or look after them. They should have a small pension in their own right. They can make an application for part of their husband's payment but they should receive a full payment if they have stayed at home to raise their families. I hope the Minister will examine this issue.

We produced a report on carers many years ago and I was delighted with the recommendation to give people in receipt of a social welfare payment an additional payment amounting to 50% of the carer's allowance. Statistics in the past showed there were more carers than there were but the respite grant scheme has shown there are not as many carers.

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