Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

This toxic budget has injected a poisonous divide into society. I have listened both in person and through the media to the stories of people who have worked hard and are trying to stretch tiny budgets to pay their bills. Honest business people who are trying to keep their enterprises going realise that a small group of powerful bankers and speculators who made vast sums of money over the past 12 years are avoiding the consequences of their greed. It is obvious to the little people of this country that greed pays. Those who took out bank loans at the end of the bubble caused by property speculation are being bailed out and a special arrangement has been reached so that they can maintain their lifestyles.

I do not think anybody believes that these people who have been making money for the past 12 years, somehow or other, suddenly cannot pay back these bills. People genuinely do not understand what is going on. They hear figures like €60 billion, €80 billion and €90 billion, but it is beyond their understanding. What is happening as a consequence of this budget will cut them away from having to pay back. These are the same people who if they owe an ESB bill get their lights turned off. If they owe any other kind of bill people come after them and they must go to the money advice and budgeting service or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. They must queue for the dole and in health centres to try to get supplementary welfare. They must pay back for everything they take on. Even families with an income as low as €289 per week will now be paying the 2% levy. Those people are trying to balance their budgets and struggle with an inadequate income. At the same time, however, they see no consequences arising for the big people in our society as a result of what they have done - the rich speculators who have been driving around in big cars, buying big houses and land. They sold those houses at inflated prices to young couples who are now struggling with mortgages. Couples who have had a mortgage for over seven years will now lose their mortgage interest relief, and will also have to pay health and income levies, as well as losing the early childhood fund. In addition, they will not qualify for medical cards or anything else. Those people are trying to balance their budgets, while they can see other people getting away with it.

I believe there will be a total breakdown in social cohesion and that there will be no morality left in this country. I make no apology for talking about morality because this is about justice. It is about those who speculate the most getting away with the most, while those who work hard get nothing. At the same time, people have seen promises broken. For example, promises were made to families with young girls who were supposed to get the HPV vaccine. They were promised it for autumn this year, but that promise was broken for the sake of €10 million. The promise to young people with cystic fibrosis was also broken because the HSE cut the capital budget. Another promise is being made now, but quite frankly they do not know whether to believe it or not. People cannot believe promises and neither do they believe that if they work hard they will get results for that work. The immorality of this budget is that the bigger the speculator, the more they will get away with, while the small people will have to pay.

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