Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I strongly oppose this section. It must be recognised that if it was not for the late Ernest Blythe cutting the old age pension 80 years ago, for which he has been condemned by Fianna Fáil ever since, the old age pension would have been cut by the Government. These cutbacks are even worse. Elderly people are reasonably well off in comparison to others. However, a widow with three young children who has a part-time job will suffer multiple cutbacks. Unless one has lived with a social welfare recipient, one will not understand. I lived with my mother, who was blind, for six years before her death. The fact that the payment to the visually impaired is being cut in the Bill to allow Anglo Irish Bank to be bailed out on behalf of builders, developers and bankers is extremely sick.

Will the Minister rethink these cutbacks? The weakest in our society, including the disabled, the handicapped, the carers, the blind and the widows will bear the brunt of the budget. I support the comments about young people. Fine Gael said their payments should be cut if they refused to take up employment or a training place but the Minister is providing that their payment will be cut regardless. She should examine how she can at least avoid cutting the payments of the worst off. I refer to a young man I know who is in a wheelchair. His allowance will be cut and his mother, who is a carer, will also suffer a cutback. She is a long way off 65 years and she needs some sympathy.

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