Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The mess that was left for us to clean up requires difficult decisions that have an impact on people's lives. Nobody denies that, but the point is that we have to make choices in a situation like this because our country will never be right unless we put order on our public finances and restore our economy to good health. In that sense the Government set out with a deliberate decision to take more than €500 million from those who can best afford it. That will apply now and for the future. I think the Deputy shares that sentiment and he possibly expressed it.

I understand from speaking to carers that this is difficult. The point, however, is that the carer's package and the carer's allowance have been protected because we value what the carers themselves expressed in producing and publishing the report on carers and what they require earlier this year. As long ago as 2006, Deputy Martin's party in Government spent €128,000 on a report about this and then did nothing about it. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has worked assiduously on this since last year and, working with the carers' associations and groups, produced the fine report which we would like to see implemented, although, unfortunately, financial circumstances do not allow us to do everything we would like.

The carer's package and the home care package have been untouched. The carer's allowance is untouched. The question of the half-rate carer's allowance is untouched. The respite grant has been reduced to 2006 and 2007 levels. It would be nice for the Minister for Finance to stand up and have the opportunity on budget day to give out increased facilities for a range of sectors. That is just not possible. I accept it has an impact on a number of people but the vast majority of social protection allowances have not been touched. The Government focused on two areas in so far as social protection was concerned but our remit has been to protect the vast majority of the rates paid under social protection and the vast majority of the allowances and facilities that are currently available.

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