Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This budget is a grave attack on children, families, the disabled and our senior citizens. It is a budget steeped in unfairness and full of broken promises, especially from the Labour Party. It is also a budget of the wrong choices for our citizens and it is steeped in inequality. Let the lesson be today that this Government has broken many promises, especially as it knows full well the economic reality for many families on the ground. It will go down in history as a budget that pushed many people over the edge, with a lack of vision, compassion and economic reality. People are hurting but the Government put the boot in even harder to families, carers, the disabled, the unemployed, small businesses and our senior citizens.

The facts in today's budget speak for themselves. Child benefit will be reduced by €10 per month, another broken promise. The respite care grant is being reduced by €325. The changes in the household benefits package will see cuts of up to €20 million. There are increases in the drugs payment scheme threshold and charges for medical card holders. In education, there are increases in the student contribution by €250 in 2013, 2014 and 2015. That is the reality of this budget, the reality of what happened today in the Dáil. The VECs will be cut by another €13 million in 2013. These schools serve many disadvantaged pupils.

The prescription charge for medical card holders is being increased from 50 cent to €1.50 per item, with the monthly cap for a family rising from €10 to €19.50. The drug payment scheme threshold is being increased from €132 to €144, a cut of up to €10 million. People who are over 70 will have their medical cards replaced with a GP only card. This is all part of today's budget. Health and disabilities have been slashed once again.

I notice the Minister mentioned the Croke Park agreement in his speech, which I support. For many people the reality of the Croke Park agreement is very difficult. For St. Michael's House, which provides disability services, the most significant challenge it faces is the waiting list for residential care, which is the longest in the country. There are 317 people on the priority list for residential services. Some 45 of these families are in serious difficulties and significant pressure is being exerted on the organisation to provide residential services for this group. Currently, there are 283 adults with an intellectual disability living with one or more parent who is over 70. That is the reality - adults with intellectual disability in their 40s and 50s whose parents are dead or too elderly to cope, and there are 45 such families on the emergency waiting list.

That issue could be resolved tomorrow morning if there was the political will. It is not a huge number.

St Michael's House has lost €11.2 million in cuts. Under the Croke Park agreement it has reduced its staff by 160, reduced absenteeism from 6.5 % to 3.5% and has reduced administration staff by 34%. There is an example of productivity, but what will the Government do? It will cut again. A 1% cut for these families means €700,000 from their service. A 3% cut means a reduction of €2.1 million. That should be compared with the billions of euro being pumped into the banks. St Michael's House will have intermittent closures in day services, residential services and respite services. It will have a reduction in transport services, support services and clinical services. This is the reality for many families and people with disabilities.

In 1941 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt said:

There is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are: equality of opportunity for youth and for others; jobs for those who can work; security for those who need it; the ending of special privilege for the few; the preservation of civil liberties for all; and the enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living.

Sadly these are missing from today's budget.

Some €3 million is being spent on special advisers, which equates to 300,000 home help hours. It is a disgraceful situation. We also have the home tax which is an attack on the family, on young couples in negative equity and on senior citizen couples under financial pressure. At one time the Taoiseach was opposed to the home tax and now he supports it. The budget should have been about fairness and sorting out our public finances. However, all we get are more cuts and attacks on families, the family home, children, the disabled, the carers, the unemployed and low-paid workers. It is a budget steeped in injustice. I will be voting against it and I urge all Deputies to reject it.

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