Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

Despite the talk about the vulnerable being hit disproportionately by this social welfare reduction, the reality is that the additional child support measures compensate for the cut in children's allowance. Those who can afford to take the hit on children's allowance will take it and those who cannot afford to will be compensated. This is not hitting the vulnerable. When the reduction in children's allowance is averaged out, it is €16 per month, less than €4 per week, although I believe Deputy Burke said it was €16 per week. It is regrettable that this had to be done but, as I said when I was being heckled, the overall social welfare budget accounts for more than one third of our outgoings so if one does not hit it, where does one hit? Although social welfare accounts for one third-----

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