Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome many positive changes in the Social Welfare Bill, especially the qualified adult allowance for pensioners. For years I have lobbied for this change because many women were forced by law to give up their jobs in the public service at the time of their marriage. I am sure many young couples find it hard to believe that such a law existed. The women's removal from work also removed their right to pay contributions so when they reached pension age they could not receive a contributory pension in their own right, or even a non-contributory pension because of their husband's means or occupational pension. It is vital that this increased allowance, which hopefully by this time next year will be the equivalent of a non-contributory pension, would be paid directly to the spouse in his or her right. There is no reason it should have to go through the husband or wife. I also welcome the extension of the fuel allowance by one week but the Government was out of touch with the cost of fuel when it refused to increase the allowance above €18 per week.

The single biggest anomaly in this budget, as in the past eight, is the failure to increase the living alone allowance. It is clear from a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs yesterday that this is not an issue for groups such as CORI and Combat Poverty. In a rural constituency, however, such as Cavan-Monaghan, where there is little public transport, few buses and no trains, to allow pensioners to use their free travel passes, the cost of living alone is a serious problem leading to depression and unfortunately in some cases suicide. This issue can no longer be ignored and must be addressed.

Imagine the case of my friend who lost her spouse and suddenly found herself with a household income of one pension instead of two. Does the Minister not realise that she must still heat the house, pay the same tax and insurance on the car and use the same cooker to prepare food? The only difference is a little less food is needed, yet she goes from receiving approximately €400 back to €200, although, of course, she is entitled to the €7.50 living alone allowance. It would be a joke if it was not so serious.

Another issue that has improved quite significantly over the past 15 years is carer's allowance and I have been involved in discussions on this matter in the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs for many years. As the Minister has already stated, carers play a critical role in looking after not only the elderly, but also people with disabilities and others with serious illnesses. However, there are major anomalies and I believe that the spouse's income should be ignored in this matter. I am dealing with one such anomaly at the moment, which saw a lady give up her part-time job in Northern Ireland to look after her friend, who was not a relation, and so far she has been refused any support. Can the Minister imagine what it would cost the State to mind this seriously ill person if this lady had not given up her job?

The issue of means testing for the carer's allowance must be seriously examined. I believe when people are seriously ill, and doctors can verify this, families should not be put through the trauma and delays of means tests. While I am on the subject of means tests, I urge the Minister to stop bringing people back for them, where possible. Older people who are refused the right to a stamp because of their age dread being brought back for a means test.

Farm incomes have dropped, many farmers have gone out of business and fewer people — only 7,500 — are receiving farm assist payments than ten years ago when the scheme was introduced. I know several of these people are under extraordinary pressure as payments have fallen from €200 and more to under €100 and as low as €50. There is no justifiable reason for it.

Another anomaly is that a self-employed person can only earn €30 per week while a person on PAYE can earn €200 per week and still get the maximum non-contributory pension. This is ridiculous and is an example of how the self-employed are being discriminated against.

See this speech in context