Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

With respect, I did not interrupt the Minister and I would appreciate if she refrained from interrupting me.

A 6% cut in the pension for blind people is a callous and unjust attack on the most vulnerable in society. Blind people will not only have their payments cut by 4.1%, as announced in the Budget Statement, but next week they will have the cancelled Christmas bonus cut by 2%. This cut is far in excess of the rate of inflation, which is running at an average of 3% for people in receipt of social welfare payments.

People who are blind or visually impaired incur considerable additional costs through adaptation measures in their homes, increased heating use from spending much more time at home than most other people, the purchase of aids, appliances and equipment to maximise their independence and additional transport usage. The Government chose to save only a few bob by slashing the blind pension, rather than focus on anti-fraud measures where significantly more savings could have been made.

The most vulnerable in society are facing a 6% cut in the next couple of weeks. Government Ministers, on the other hand, will take a 5% cut in their salaries. That is the wrong focus.

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