Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not come to this debate with any strong ideological position, but I am staggered by what the Government is doing through its cuts, particularly to carers. Like many of the Members on this side of the House, I spent some time outside Leinster House yesterday and some time in my constituency this morning discussing the proposed changes and was staggered by the fact that carers are bewildered. They do not understand how the Government, for the sake of €26 million, can cause so much offence, discomfort, difficulty and hardship to them, when it could so easily get that money elsewhere. That is what amazes them. They are amazed that a government that is committed to caring, to an ideology that is soft left, is prepared to make these unnecessary cuts in social welfare.

In Stepaside this morning, these carers pointed out to me that they work for the social welfare benefits they receive. They do not begrudge social welfare benefits to anybody, but they work for their benefits day and night, 24/7, yet the Government is removing some of their benefit from them. Why is that? It is being taken from them, because they cannot walk off their jobs, because if they did, they would be deserting family, friends and people to whom they have been loyal carers. There are easier ways the Government could have found to save €26 million.

The Minister for Transport was in Leinster House the other day seeking approval for an extra borrowing requirement for CIE, a corrupt semi-State organisation, of €300 million. Earlier in the summer, he had agreed to give them €36 million, more than the Government is taking from the carers. He then took that away and then returned it.

The decision to reduce the carers' respite benefit is extraordinary. It shows the priorities of the Government are bizarre and perverse. The same is true with regard to the cut in children's benefit. There is a kind of myth abroad that somehow carers are spending their money on holidays and that mothers of the children of this country are spending their children's allowance on something else. That may be true in the case of a minority, but is certainly not true for the majority. People being deprived of this money are people who need it badly. In the case of children's allowance, these are the same people who are being crucified for money elsewhere.

I do not believe social welfare should be cut until we cut other benefits that are easily abused. What about social welfare fraud? Why is that issue not tackled properly in the budget? Why is there some sort of taboo about doing that, a taboo Governments continually refuse to tackle with the vigour necessary?

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