John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Just weeks ago, the Government promoted a referendum on children's rights, despite the fact it knew damn well it would follow it up with socially irresponsible direct attack on children which has the potential to affect some parents' ability to care and provide for their children and, possibly, push more children into the care of the State.

Cuts to the back to school clothing allowance will cause enormous hardship for struggling families. Overall, the awful treatment of mothers and children in this budget puts the once proposed Fine Gael tax on children's shoes in the ha'penny place. I listened to some of the Deputies on the Government side talking about ideologies, the left, the right and whatever. It has always been the case that the less well off in societies around the world are the most vulnerable to attack by the right. In Ireland, the less well off, the 700,000 people on the verge of poverty, or the 200,000 children on the poverty line, are under severe attack, with nobody to defend them.

They have been abandoned by the main political parties, as I have said in this House previously. They have been abandoned by the church. They have been abandoned by the trade union movement, the leadership of which really has no credibility with workers or families because of its close associations with successive Governments. It is easy to attack all of these people because nobody stands up for them, with the exception of a few parties and a few individuals. The Minister does not do it. The Labour Party does not do it. Fine Gael does not do it. If one speaks to those involved on the coal face in front-line organisations like the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Social Justice Ireland, one will hear that every one of them is absolutely shocked by what the Government is doing.

I spoke last week to a woman in my constituency who has three kids. She was shocked and distressed that so much money is being taken from her. She really does not have any money to give. She described it as "cruel". Nobody should stand up here to make excuses or suggest that the Government is doing what it thinks is right for the years to come. I will repeat what I have said to Labour Party Deputies previously. The things that have happened in this country cannot be corrected in the next two, three or four years. When those on the Labour Party benches vote in favour of this Bill tonight, all they will have done is create enormous hardship that will live long in the memories of the 700,000 people and the 200,000 children who will be three years older at the next general election and will remember what has been done to them. I am looking at the Minister when I say that, but she is not looking at me. I know her well and I have respect for her. I speak to her regularly. I have told her that I would never criticise her personally and I will not do so today. The Minister and her party colleagues cannot deny that when this Bill is passed, it will drive thousands of people into poverty. That is clear from the statistics that are available to us.

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