Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

During his speech on Monday, nobody noticed that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, said the Government would "secure 2% efficiencies in disability, mental health and children's services, saving €50 million." This means taking 2% from services for respite and residential care, with which I am familiar. The Government might believe it is smart to take 2% from these services and save €50 million. However, in approximately six months it will discover the implications of taking away the respite care for families or reducing the hours to achieve this 2% cut. When there is a crisis and the parent, who could be in his or her 80s or 90s, of an adult with a disability dies, and a service such as St. Michael's House does not have a place, it has to franchise it out resulting in additional cost. Where is the economic sense in this? Regardless of the justice and equality issue, it will cost more money. I have direct experience of this because I meet the managers regularly. While 2% might sound small it creates a major issue.

I know a woman in her mid-20s who is in respite care. I met her on Monday at a disability event in Clontarf. Her father died last year and her mother is now seriously ill in hospital. If it were not for that respite service, that person and her family would be in serious trouble. When the Government makes such cuts, it should think of the effect on people on the ground. Even if it does not give a damn, it should consider the economic cost. That cut of €50 million will end up costing €56 million in the end because when the crisis starts, those service providers get private companies to take over the care of adults with an intellectual disability.

We have the details of the debate. I again thank all the Opposition parties and groups for highlighting this issue. The families involved have been hurting in the past 12 hours and appreciate the voices raised on their behalf and this is my first opportunity to do this. I urge the Minister to reverse this cut which accounts for a small amount of the overall budget. I am available to him should he wish to know from where he can get the €7 million required to reverse it.

There has been much talk about the Government's priority being job creation. The first email I received today was at 7.30 a.m. from the Northside Centre for the Unemployed in Coolock, a community in which there is a high rate of unemployment. That email reads:

The Budget of 2012 for JOB CREATION endangers the employment of 22,474 Community Employment Workers who have actively gained work. Is Job Creation and getting people back to work not what the Government is trying to do?

Northside Centre for the Unemployment based in Coolock, on the Northside of Dublin is appalled at the proposed budget cuts to the funding for Community Employment Projects by way of a 66.6% cut in funding for Training and Materials.

While it is recognised that we all have to take some of the pain and shoulder our fair share of cuts, a disproportionate 66.6% cut in funding is far too drastic to be classed as "a fair share" of "Some of the Pain". We are demanding [I support them] that this proposed cut be reversed by the Government before this budget is passed.

There are currently 22,474 people participating on these Projects throughout the 26 Counties of Ireland, providing much needed Support to Local Communities, Older Persons Support, People with Disabilities, Community Childcare, Youth Projects, Meals on Wheels, Carers Supports, Unemployed Centres, Tidy Towns, Community Training, Environmental Community Works and Arts Projects, to name but a few.

All these groups and organisations are providing these supports free of charge or at affordable prices to users of these services and if they had to be provided by the state would have a huge financial drain on the Government budgets. These are quality services being provided at bargain basement prices.

While providing these valuable supports in our Communities we are also training a potential workforce of over 22,000 who at the end of their time on Community employment will be job ready with the skills and education to enter the mainstream workforce.

This Budget cut will have the effect of Community Employment Projects not being able to afford even the basic Workplace Health & Safety Training for their Participants, which is mandatory under Health & Safety Legislation irrespective of the progression based training that Participants need to move into mainstream employment.

Cuts to child benefit and fuel and disability allowances have been announced. As previously stated, if the Government were to introduce a wealth tax, it would raise €800 million. If it were to end property tax reliefs, it would raise €450 million. If it reduced landlord interest relief, it would raise €400 million, while a 35% minimum tax on all high earners would raise an additional €100 million.

On jobs, there is a proposal on the table of the Ministerj for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, in relation to an excellent project which would create 5,000 jobs in the sugar beet industry. I urge the Minister to look favourably on this proposal which has been costed. It has received much support and would receive cross-party support in this House, given the major crisis in the country in sugar production.

It is important that we look at the budget in a balanced and objective way. It is also important that Ministers listen to the criticisms and sensible proposals made by Members of the Opposition parties, in particular in respect of people with disabilities. I have major concerns about the budget, in particular in regard to the core issues of disability, health, education and job creation. There was an opportunity to provide for real and radical reform and the Government to assist the most vulnerable and children living in poverty, yet it did not go for this. As this is not a budget I can support, I will be voting against it.

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