Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's intentions and commitment to move from a passive to an active welfare state. Everybody in this republic has a valuable part to play in its rebuilding. I note the Minister has been active in formulating activation measures to assist people to get back to work by upskilling and retraining. I note the comments she made about the previous two Governments' utter failure to address the problems of jobless households and the alarming statistic that the jobless figure rose to reach 15% of total households at the height of the Celtic tiger when there was large inward migration to fill job vacancies.

It is welcome that the Minister's Department will be providing 10,000 new placements on unemployment schemes this year and that, notwithstanding the enormous pressure she is under to reduce the social welfare budget, she was able to protect the basic rate of widow's pension, invalidity pension and carer's allowance, which were cut by Fianna Fáil to the tune of almost €850 in its last two budgets in power. The Minister was also able to protect the rate of jobseeker's allowance.

I have concerns, however, about certain parts of the Bill. An alternative should be found to the blanket cut to the respite care payment. While I understand the Minister is under pressure to save money, I ask her to go to the Cabinet to seek approval for a review of this measure. I have sought, with some Fine Gael colleagues and through internal Fine Gael channels, a meeting with the Minister to discuss the matter. I hope this meeting can still take place. I would like to make some constructive suggestions. This payment is not due to be paid until June next. Will the Minister seriously consider leaving the carer's respite grant at its current level on a fully vouched basis? This would allow those who rely on the payment to continue to receive it. In this alternative carers could be allowed to choose between retaining the current payment on a fully vouched basis and accepting the lower amount on an unvouched basis.

With regard to child benefit, in the interests of real reform, rather than cutting the rate of payment, in the future we need to look seriously at means-testing this payment in order to ensure it is protected for those who need it most. In this alternative all income, regardless of its source, whether through work or welfare, would be regarded as taxable to ensure we had a truly progressive tax and welfare system. However, in this scenario we would have to ensure married couples were not at a disadvantage.

I find it incredible to listen to and experience the collective amnesia and rank hypocrisy of former senior Fianna Fáil Ministers such as Deputy Micheál Martin, who sat at the Cabinet table, approved and then forced through the cuts to the baseline carer's allowance payment from €220.50 in 2009 to €204 in 2011. They are now crying crocodile tears about the reduction in the respite care payment.

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