Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank all of those who contributed to this debate. I listened with interest last night to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Mary Hanafin. She tried to defend the cuts being made to the most vulnerable in society on the basis of increases they got in the past. As Deputy Stanton asked earlier, does that suggest the increases they received in the past were unjust or undeserved? I do not think so.

In recent years the cost of living here has increased significantly, mainly due to the gross incompetence of the Government. As highlighted here last night, many people who receive social welfare payments had to borrow to improve their quality of life. All we need do to realise the seriousness of the situation is read the heart-wrenching story in yesterday's newspaper of the couple in Waterford who borrowed to be able to move into a house specially adapted for their disabled son. The bank is now foreclosing on them. People on the breadline are struggling to cope with a high level of debt because of the gross incompetence of the Government to manage the economy. What use is there in telling the people that deflation is running at 2.8%, but that the Government will cut their payments by 6% to ensure they really feel the pain of recession? Why is the Government taking €108 million from carers, the blind and people with disabilities when, at the same time, it is deciding, behind closed doors, to give 55 times that amount to Anglo Irish Bank to bail it out of a further mess it has created? The Government is planning to give €6 billion to Anglo Irish Bank next year, but it cannot find €108 million for the most vulnerable in society.

Many alternatives could have been put forward by the Government to raise the €108 million, rather than take it from the vulnerable. Member after Member who spoke this week and last lied in saying there were no choices. There are choices that could have been made to make the €4 billion of savings. We all agreed savings had to be made. There were plenty of choices and these were outlined by my colleagues. Instead of planning for 75,000 job losses next year to make a saving of almost €700 million, the Government could have accepted the Fine Gael proposal that would have created 50,000 jobs next year. It could have got rid of 150 quangos that have on their boards the friends of Fianna Fáil but, no, it would not do that or interfere with those agencies. It could also have stopped the ongoing and continual waste of public moneys that has gone on over the past 12 years, including the proposed frog census. Is it right that we are spending money to count frogs, but cannot support carers, the disabled and the blind?

I could mention the waste in the Department of Social and Family Affairs. Some €4,000 a minute is leaving the country and being squandered through fraud. At the same time, the Minister failed to deliver on the target she set in April with regard to fraud. On 8 April this year, she stated here that her first priority was to tackle fraud with regard to jobseekers. However, she is €112 million short of her target in that regard. Strange as it may seem, only €4 million is needed to support the most vulnerable groups in our community through protecting the carers and those they care for, people with disabilities and the blind.

I remind Government backbenchers that the Taoiseach said recently that budgets are not simply about balancing the books, but that is the attitude being taken by the Government currently. He said budgets are also about acknowledging what we see as important in society. The Government backbenchers have a choice to make tonight. They can decide what is important for society. Do they believe the elderly, carers, people with disabilities and the blind are important or do they believe the bankers and their friends are the people who should be bailed out and that they are the people who are important? Those backbenchers have a choice to make, whether they want to support the vulnerable or the people who have created the mess we are in currently. Let them decide. Let them go up the steps and decide whether to go left or right, whether to choose Tá or Níl and whether to support the vulnerable and people who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long, to help the most vulnerable - people who are sick or disabled who will never have that choice.

I commend the motion to the House.

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