Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I met a woman outside Leinster House earlier today who told me she had less freedom than an inmate in Mountjoy Prison. Her home has to be locked down 24-7 because she cares for her young adult son who is autistic and presents such of a flight risk that the Garda helicopter has had to be deployed. He requires adult services, but nothing is available to him. Any home help the family has received has been withdrawn. The woman concerned has not had a night out in six years and put herself through hoops to be here today. The respite care grant is paid annually and not spent in a frivolous way. Any presentation of it being used for holidays or treats grossly misrepresents the reality. The woman concerned is from the Tánaiste's constituency.

I refer to the advertisement on child benefit mentioned which was carried only days before the general election and in full knowledge of what the memorandum of understanding with the troika contained. It was not picked from thin air but was long-standing policy of the Labour Party. I refer to a debate sponsored by that party in 2009 in which the Tánaiste said the then Government had mortgaged our children's future for decades to come in the form of NAMA and was robbing from children to pay the banks. He continued:

One can only tap the same source for so long before it runs dry. Child benefit is not, as some would characterise it, a contribution towards the luxuries of life for the overwhelming majority. It is money which parents count on to pay for child care, trips to the doctor and food and clothing for their children. For ten of thousands of families in this recession it is a crucial source of household income with just about keeps them afloat.

Those are fine words, but it is deeds that count. In the same debate the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, stated, "In this country child benefit is society's contribution to rearing our next generation." She referred to the Scandinavian countries and continued, "Rather than a race to the bottom as regards child welfare, we should try to model ourselves on the best practice throughout the European Union." Shamefully, it seems we are being led in a race to the bottom. Had the Labour Party told parents prior to the last general election they would have their child benefit cut, had it refused to sign the student pledge, had it told the electorate that two years on from the general election it would be Frankfurt's way that would win, with €8.1 billion in the budget to be spent to service the interest on the national debt, would it have received the same level of support? What I cannot understand is that this is not even about self-preservation. This will not be forgiven or forgotten. People expected better from the Government. They trusted parties such as Fine Gael and the Labour Party with their votes. The Government often arrogantly describes itself as a "national" Government, but tonight it is an absent Government. Its huge majority is being used as a sledgehammer, not against the banks or the troika but against those who cannot fight back. It is an absolute disgrace.

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