Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare Bill. As a first-time Deputy I find it strange that so little time is being given to debate the Bill. I know this is not unusual for such a Bill after the budget, but it is a poor reflection on our national Parliament that we drive a Bill with measures that have such an important effect on people through the system as quickly as we are doing today. For all the talk about reforming the process for introducing and dealing with budgetary proposals, to treat the Social Welfare Bill in this way is out of kilter with the rhetoric on reform of the budgetary system. Pushing the Bill through today reflects that it contains very tough measures and the Government wants it enacted as quickly as possible so people do not get time to digest its contents and therefore to come back to lobby Government and backbenchers for change.

Many of the measures are regressive. I watched the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, on Vincent Browne's television programme during the week. He was asked to outline how he would be affected by the budget and the only measure he could point to was that he would have to pay 2% more in the standard rate of VAT just as everybody else will. This is a reflection of how regressive the budget is. Anyone in this Chamber is on a very generous salary by comparison with any normal person. If any of us were to ask how these budgetary measures are affecting us or anybody else in a well paid job, we would struggle to find anything apart from measures that are also affecting people on much lower wages or dependent on social welfare. A family on social welfare with three children may be losing €1,300. For them to be affected by this budget to the same extent as a family with an income of €150,000 shows how regressive it is. I find it hard to understand how the Labour Party can stand over a budget that has such an impact on people.

I would like to address a few measures that have not had as much airing as they should have. I highlight the proposed changes to widows' and widowers' pensions. The Minister is increasing the number of PRSI contributions in order that a widow or widower can receive the contributory pension from 150 payments to what amounts to ten years.

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