Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

He was one of Fianna Fáil's great supporters and because of that and because he came out so strongly in favour of its social policy so many times his comments are important. He described this budget as anti-family, anti-poor and anti-children. He said that poor people will take a bigger hit than those who are better off, those living in poverty where one in seven of the total population, 18% of children, are being asked to endure greater deprivation. He says this is unjust and unfair and that the Government's arguments based on falling inflation, which numerous Government spokespersons mentioned this evening, are profoundly ill-informed. They fail to recognise the fact that costs for poor people have risen in key areas of their expenditure over the past year. That sums it up.

This morning the Taoiseach claimed that the budget protects the most vulnerable. This is not the case. Everyone here with any connection with his electorate knows that. As numerous commentators have said people with disabilities, and carers, will face cuts of up to 4% in their weekly payments, cuts of between €8.30 and €8.80 would have a very real impact on the 96,000 people in receipt of disability allowance and the country's 30,000 carers.

Cuts in the disability allowance will have a major impact on people with disabilities who already find it difficult to make ends meet on a daily basis. This sector already has much higher poverty levels than other population groups. People with disabilities have a higher cost of living particularly in respect of heating, housing and transport. The Rehab group has proved that people with a disability face an additional cost of living estimated at €40 per week. That, coupled with the drop in income, will put them under major pressure to survive. That figure was given in research on disability payments that we all know and that has been used several times. People on disability benefit have more medical expenses, need disability aids, home adaptations, transport and heating costs, than other sectors. The decision to cut their payment takes no account of the fact that people on disability benefit are two and a half times more likely to be unemployed than people with a disability. The decision takes no account of the cancellation of the Christmas bonus. Blind people should have been exempted from these cuts. The €500,000 that was available to train guidedogs for blind people has been scrapped. That is penal. That at least should be restored.

Two things threatening our society are fraud, which should be taken on, and the black economy. I forwarded a letter from a builder to the Minister on this subject. Legitimate builders are unable to compete with people who are drawing welfare and do not go through the books. The black economy is one of the reasons for the decrease in the tax take. These two issues must be taken on.

I am sure Fr. Healy will read all these statements. He said that a society is measured by how it treats its vulnerable people. Using this yardstick this budget has failed all of Ireland's people. I do not believe Fr. Healy will address the Fianna Fáil conference next year.

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