Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)

On the home page of the Department of Social Protection's website one can see, in the top left-hand corner, the mission statement of the Department. The Department's mission is: "To promote active participation in society through the provision of income supports, employment services and other services." Does the Bill justify that mission statement? That is how we should be measuring the proposals within the Bill. The Bill goes nowhere near that. In fact, it does the very opposite. The Bill prevents active participation in society by withdrawing income supports, employment opportunities and other services to our people. That is a shocking indictment of the Government.

The full-year cost of the social welfare cuts will be €811 million. I have heard speakers from the Government side say they had no choice and ask what was the alternative. Here is a novel idea for raising revenue, especially for Labour Party Deputies. They should implement their own policies. Before the general election Labour had a policy to introduce a third rate of tax at 48% on incomes in excess of €100,000. That measure alone would have raised €410 million, more than half that saved by the cuts in the social welfare sector. The Government may not want to go down that road, because some Ministers earn in excess of €100,000. Is it any wonder that proposal was thrown off the table? They do not want to pay more. They would prefer to inflict cuts on those who cannot pay more. That is a shocking indictment of the Ministers who sat around the Cabinet table and passed this budget. They came into the House and told us they had no alternative.

I will touch briefly on the cuts to the back-to-school clothing allowance. I challenge any Deputy to send a child to secondary school for €250 or to primary school for €200. It cannot be done. Government Deputies should not criticise the Opposition for not coming up with proposals. I have just given one. In fact, the Labour Party gave it to the public before the general election. Of course, when the Ministers got their seats in the Dáil, their bums in ministerial Mercs and their salaries in excess of €100,000, they looked down their noses at people and told them they would not take any cuts. They are in Government now and above all that. They have their perks and their pensions and to hell with the poor people in society. They have absolutely shat on people. Shame on them.

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