Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I move amendment No. 29:

In page 20, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:

"23.—The Minister shall as soon as may be after the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the need to increase the Living Alone Allowance.

This is a very important amendment from the Labour Party's perspective because the most vulnerable are those who are living alone. Unfortunately I was not present yesterday when the clawback of the rent subsidy was discussed. Those living alone, especially senior citizens, will really suffer because of it. They may go to the post office on 1 January 2009 and receive a new book stating they have received an increase of €6.95 but, on the same day, they will receive a document from the HSE stating their rent has increased by €5. I cannot believe the Minster did this. It is unbelievable and the most horrendous act of any in this area. We have discussed landlords, etc., at length and know from visiting the individuals in question that they are the poorest of the poor, yet the clawback was made. There was no logic to it and it was mean and unacceptable. The clawback, in so far as it will affect individuals living alone and senior citizens, will come back to haunt us.

I heard the Minister state rent did not increase in four years. So what? If it has not increased, the Minister should put in place a mechanism whereby the most desirable scheme will be realised over the coming four years. The taking of €5 from individuals in one fell swoop was the worst of all the 32 cuts. It represents a false dawn for those affected. When they get the book into their hands, they will expect to receive the money indicated therein. On the following day, they will see that €5 of the rent subsidy has been clawed back. There is an urgent need to consider the position of those living alone. There is no doubt but that they are the most vulnerable, regardless of age or circumstances. Some of them are in horrendous circumstances due to rogue landlords, who, in many instances, have them in fear of seeking alternative accommodation. The landlords say they will not return the tenants' deposits and that they will take cases on foot of the tenants doing this, that and the other.

This amendment is the most important of all. I ask the Minister to consider, when reviewing the budget, the introduction of some mechanism to address the clawback, although it may not be possible by accepting my amendment. It was a horrendous act to do that to senior citizens, giving them the idea they would get €7 when, in real terms, they will get €2. I ask the Minister to look at this. These are the most vulnerable people in society. They visit me in my clinics, or I visit them and see the conditions in which they live. There is a need to increase the living alone allowance and this issue is tied in with the previous amendment on the fuel allowance. Both are important to the people concerned. It is vitally important that they have a satisfactory living, one that is acceptable to all of us. None of us wishes to see people come under pressure or to see a situation where the people who are in receipt of these payments now find it difficult to survive.

This amendment offers a way to overcome that. I ask the Minister to consider it, and to look at the clawback in respect of the increase in the rent subsidy. It is wrong to do this. Local government rules contain a clause whereby nobody in local authority housing is allowed suffer that situation. I am not sure about the details, but a circular letter was sent by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to local authorities in 2004, in which he gave a directive that they could not take any more than 15% of any social welfare rise for rents. This was especially the case for senior citizens.

I cannot understand how the Minister agreed to take 60% or 70% from senior citizens in this instance. This is not acceptable given the cost of living and all the rises in electricity, gas, fuel and transport. Everything has gone up and yet the Minister hammered those people. She hammered the senior citizens and those who are least well off in society by clawing back this payment from them. In a throwaway remark that I happened to hear one night, the Minister said the payment had not risen in four years. It is nobody's fault other than the Government's that it had not risen during that time. If it had risen year by year, the Minister would have conformed to the local authority directive that only 15% of the rise should be taken back.

I ask the Minister to consider the living alone allowance. I ask her to reflect on the clawback in the rent subsidy increase and make it possible for the person living alone, man or woman, in whatever circumstances, to have his or her standard of living improve to a level acceptable to us all.

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