Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, began by stating, "Our twin objectives in the budget have been to ensure those in most need of the support of the Department of Social Protection are protected most and that the Department does everything it can to get people back to work." Sadly, the Bill fails in both respects. If anybody believes more people will be working in December 2013 than in December 2012, I beg to differ.

On the issue of those in most need of help, I have received an e-mail today from a family, the Johnstons, in County Wexford who have two autistic children. They outlined how the budget would impact on them. The reduction in children's allowance will be €456; the property tax will result in the payment of an extra €150 on what they paid this year; there will be an extra €80 on road tax; the reduction in the respite grant will amouint to €650; and the increase in PRSIfor the family member working will be €300. Therefore, the total loss for the year will be €1,636, a sum they cannot afford. They added:

Our eldest son, Evan, has been on a priority waiting list for respite care since September 2012. Since then, he was allocated one day of respite care which made a huge difference for this family. He benefited greatly from the experience and his behaviour improved for many days afterwards, improving the lives of all of us. Even if Evan is given access to more days in respite, we still have another autistic son to care for. The respite service would help us a great deal if we could access it in Wexford. It would not cure him but it would help just one more struggling family.

After its announcement the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, then on the Opposition benches, stated the budget for 2010 would leave Irish society more divided than ever. I agree completely that it did. Sadly, the budget for 2013 will do the same. There has not been a serious attempt to challenge the massive levels of inequality in society which should be our biggest challenge, given that most of us accept there is a massive level of inequality. A recent OECD report showed that the gap between the incomes of the top 10% and those of the bottom 10% had multiplied by a factor of 14 in the past 25 years, which is incredible. We are moving in the wrong direction. The chances of achieving social solidarity which used to be the reality in days gone by are disappearing. It goes without saying that in unequal societies the fate of young people is directly linked with how their parents get on, which reinforces a vicious cycle of poverty. I cannot think why the Government did not apply the simple measure of adding 3% to the USC for those who earn more than €100,000. That some members would balance a 3% reduction in social welfare against that measure is something I cannot understand.

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