Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

There is no economic or moral argument for making €475 million worth of cuts to the social welfare budget, cuts of the most dishonest kind. The Minister has said he has not cut social welfare payments. The payments to one parent families are to be cut by €122 million. The disability allowance is to be discontinued for 16 and 17 year olds and cut to €100 for young people between the ages of 18 and 21 years and €144 for those aged between 22 and 24. The Minister has also set out cuts to jobseeker's benefit. The question is: when is a cut not a cut?

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