Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

The Minister made a comment today that he could not understand why we were trying to divide urban Ireland and rural Ireland by tabling this motion. We are not trying to do that. We are trying to show that the emphasis of the budgetary decisions will impact far more on services in rural than in urban Ireland. For instance, to qualify for a second teacher a school has to have more than 12 pupils. In three years' time, because of the budget, a school will require 20 pupils to get a second teacher. That is not a problem in a city or urban environment where most schools are bursting at the seams but it is a problem in rural areas. The Minister has emphasised that no school will be closed, yet in response to a parliamentary question he said schools will be encouraged to amalgamate. That is a withdrawal of services from rural communities.

Community nursing homes will be a major issue in 2012. I referred to it this morning when I spoke about the Croke Park agreement being used as a Trojan horse to justify bad decisions. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, told the Joint Committee on Health and Children last week that nursing homes with fewer than 50 beds are not viable and he would have great difficulty keeping a lot of them open during 2012 and 2013. They are the standard model in rural Ireland and across the country. He referred to 50 beds as if they are inanimate objects but they involve older people who have been left hanging because of his comments. Such people generally live in rural areas.

My colleagues have referred to CE schemes and the impact of the reduction in the grant from €1,500 to €500. Such schemes include meals on wheels, older care services and sports services. Every year the Ballina Salmon Festival results in about 75,000 people visiting our town over a ten day period. They spend money and invest in the local economy. A large scheme is associated with it. At this time of year it is involved in crafts, making props and dealing with the physical equipment that goes with such a large event. It stands to lose €35,000 because of this decision.

It is in the budget documentation, but not the social welfare legislation, with a saving beside it. The Minister for Social Protection said she will conduct a review of each scheme starting in January but has not given us the conditions or time lines. Will it involve whichever scheme she likes best? Unless we get an independent analysis of the situation how can the success of schemes be determined?

Elsewhere in the budget there is a cut of €50 million - sorry, it is identified as efficiencies - in disability and mental health services. This will affect organisations, such as Western Care, which provide community and voluntary led health services.

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