Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

In any event, I have found €40 million for the Minister already. He should simply take it from the banks if they have €40 million to give away. That would constitute a start and would deal with the blind pensioners.

A story broke today concerning a social worker in County Kilkenny, who has seen children taking food from a bin. How could Members, particularly on the Government side, allow this to happen? I am referring to the four Independent Members, to whom I again wish to make a plea. The most savage cut of all is to the carer's allowance. Carers work for their payment and do not receive it for nothing. They save the State a fortune of €2.5 billion each year and work very hard. What will happen if carers are not available? The State will be obliged to find nursing homes for those who are being cared for. These people will be admitted to hospitals, where they will take up badly-needed beds. Moreover, there will be a knock-on effect in respect of medicine, drugs and so on when trying to keep those concerned from becoming sick.

I cannot understand how the Government or its backbenchers could allow this to happen. I acknowledge it was necessary to make choices but it should not have been necessary to make this choice. A measure affecting the blind, carers and the disabled is wrong. The Minister is a decent man who knows this is wrong, as do the backbenchers. I wish to make a plea today to the Kerry rose, Deputy Healy-Rae and to the Tipperary stars, Deputies Lowry and Mattie McGrath. The latter is a great speaker on RTE radio who tells the country that he will bring down the Government and will not allow this to happen. He then marches into the Chamber every time to vote for the Government. In addition, Deputy Behan has told people there is no alternative. There is an alternative to cutting benefits to the blind, the disabled and to carers. There is a fairer and better way. I appeal to the Kerry rose, the Tipperary stars and the Independent Member to be what the people elected them as, namely, Independents. They should take an independent view on this proposed measure, which was wrong yesterday, is wrong today and will be wrong tomorrow.

I remember when the Government announced increases in child benefit and all social welfare payments in 2007 to applause from the choir opposite. It took full credit for all those payments. I also remember visiting the doorsteps that May. Although payment arrangements usually are put in place by the middle of a year, that year they were brought forward in order that the first increases in child benefit and social welfare would take effect by May 2007. What was so special about that month? It was the time of the general election when the Government thought it was doing a great job for the people.

I again tell Independent Members and Fianna Fáil backbenchers that this offers them another opportunity. Opposition Members will give them an opportunity in a few minutes when they are asked to vote. They will even be given a second opportunity by being asked to walk through the lobbies. I appeal to them to vote with their conscience and vote that it is wrong to take money from carers, the blind and disabled. I urge Fianna Fáil backbenchers and the Independent Members to do the right thing and to vote with the Opposition. It will not change the overall Bill but it will restore the money to those who badly need it.

I listened to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, who talked about reverting to the payments levels that obtained in 2007. However, bread, milk and insurance were cheaper in 2007, as was the overall cost of living in Ireland. It is not cheaper now, as items are more expensive and people are experiencing greater pressure. Even this winter, people have been obliged to pay more money for coal and fuel to keep themselves warm in their houses. This measure is wrong now and will be wrong tomorrow and the week after. I appeal to Government Members not to be Christmas Scrooges and to make the right decision in this regard by changing this immediately.

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