Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Does the Minister recall that Deputy Shortall also said that "the Government has lost all sense of the fact that carers, widows, people with disabilities, single parents and the unemployed depend on their weekly payments for their very survival", that "the decision to cut these basic rates cannot be defended", that "families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water will undoubtedly go under if the Minister persists with these measures" and that "it is difficult to fathom how these measures will help recovery"? Does she agree with Deputy Shortall's correct assessment of these cuts? If so, will she consider reversing them and when will she do so?

Has the Labour Party, like the previous Government, lost all sense of the fact that people depend on these payments for their survival? According to CSO figures, one quarter of all households are now in arrears on their bills and the consumer price index is up 2.2% on February 2010. Does the Minister agree that the Government must intervene to restore social welfare rates to their 2010 levels at least and seek to increase them according the increase in the CPI?

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