Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I will talk about child benefit, a matter the previous speaker would not understand, if the constituency he represents is anything to go by. I am sure he is always talking to builders, attending race meetings and associating with the super-rich. The half-rate child benefit payment will no longer apply to those aged 18 and over and those who have moved on to third level education. An increase of €7 in child benefit is proposed at a time when inflation is 4%. I note that Deputy Ned O'Keeffe is in the Chamber. I am surprised he will allow his Government colleagues to take the medical card from the over 70s. This afternoon, the Minister for Health and Children gave the Deputy's backbench colleagues the wooden spoon on the backside and they had to take it. The Minister, Deputy Harney, told them to sit down and be quiet. It is no wonder the Progressive Democrats are in disarray. They are almost gone. After this week, we will not hear "Sinne Fianna Fáil" any more. We will say goodbye to Fianna Fáil because that party is on the way out as well.

What does the Government have against farmers who have had to endure one cut after the other? The only increase the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, has secured in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs relates to the payment given to those who teach Irish outside the Gaeltacht. There have been no increases in any other schemes. The budget of the Western Development Commission has been cut by almost half. The allocations to all the other rural schemes have been cut by half. The payment given to people to heat their homes has been cut. I do not know where the Ministers, Deputies Ó Cuív and Smith, were when these cuts were agreed. Perhaps they were not at the Cabinet meeting that day. If so, they are like their ministerial colleagues who claim they were in Ireland when EU directives were being agreed in Europe. Some Ministers complain when we refuse to offer them pairs for Dáil votes, even though they are not always present at the EU meetings they are supposed to be attending.

This is the cruelest, meanest and lousiest budget this State has ever seen. I do not mind when the rich are affected by budgetary changes, but I hate it when the Government targets the poor. The rich are always looked after. The rich get richer as the poor get poorer. Fianna Fáil's new policy is to keep the working class down. We will have many more debates on this budget. I assure Deputy Ned O'Keeffe, in case he is worried, that Fine Gael will table a simple motion on medical cards next week. I am sure many Members of this House, including Deputies Healy-Rae, Finian McGrath and Lowry and some of their Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil colleagues, will go on local radio this weekend to tell their constituents they do not agree with the proposed changes to the medical card system. Next week, we will give them an opportunity to vote against the proposals when we table a simple motion.

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