Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My colleague referred to the lack of reform and he is correct in that regard. The changes to PRSI for people who earn just over €18,500 will not do much to encourage those at the lower end of the spectrum to return to employment. The jobs strategy introduced by the Government just after it entered office proved to be a disaster. More people are unemployed now than in 2011. What has the Government done about the two highest overheads with which small businesses must contend, namely, rent and rates? The answer is nothing. This is another broken promise.

Seventy percent of unemployed people would prefer to be working. They need our support to get back to work. I have been informed by experienced departmental officials based around the country that, at a conservative estimate, 10% of the departmental budget is affected by fraudulent claims. The Minister has targeted a reduction in fraud. The Minister should use the Croke Park agreement to redeploy public service staff to each social welfare office to support the good work of the Department's fraud officials. She needs to be woman enough to impose strict penalties for blatantly fraudulent social welfare claims. A more rigorous assessment system would obviate the need for such brutal cuts.

This morning the Taoiseach sought to justify these callous cuts by reminding the House that the previous Government cut the blind pension. I acknowledge that was wrong. However, what this Government is doing now is morally wrong. What happened to the Labour Party's red line issue of the cuts in child benefit? On 10 December 2010, the Minister stated that child benefit had succeeded in lifting children out of poverty because there was no means test. Barnardos has described this budget as regressive, unfair, unsustainable and disproportionately targeted. What happened to the Labour Party standing up for the less well-off in society? The people who earn a couple of hundred thousand euro and who have a couple of children get the same as people with a couple of children who earn €10,000.

What about the carers? They are the only section of society who earn the money they are paid. They earn it because they have to undergo a rigorous assessment. Under the Minister's watch they wait eight months for payment. They must prove that they provide full-time care. They are saving this State €4 billion annually - a conservative figure. They are keeping people out of long-term care in nursing homes. They do it not for the €200 a week they receive, which we introduced, nor for the respite care grant, which we also introduced, but for love of the person for whom they care. Where is the Labour Party support for those people?

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