Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Fianna Fáil Party for allowing me to contribute to this debate. At a time of budgetary cuts, I would like to know why the Government is giving €700 million of borrowed money to people who are not Irish citizens and who are living abroad. If this figure could be halved to €350 million, there would be no need for the proposed €113 million cut that will directly affect 100,000 medical card holders. The telephone rental allowance, which enables people to get telephones that are vitally needed for security purposes, would not need to be abolished and neither would the bereavement grant. This could be done at the stroke of a pen.

The Government has decided to discriminate against Irish people who live in poverty, some of whom voted to elect it. It is deliberately throwing €700 million around the world even though it has no electoral mandate to do so. It must be unduly influenced by the extraordinarily highly paid leaders of the organisations through which much of this money is being pushed. We do not have a properly audited system. Some of the moneys in question are not subject to proper accounting. Charity begins at home. I suggest that a question on this matter should be put to the people when the Government proposes to hold a referendum next year. The Government should ask the electorate to give it a mandate to continue with policies that discriminate against the poor Irish people who elected it.

Economics is about the allocation of scarce resources. Economists are supposed to be trained and have an understanding of the sociological needs of the communities they analyse. I am afraid there must be some very dumb economists advising the Government at present. To be honest, their wisdom is very questionable. The Government's parish pump in Ireland has been bled dry. According to an article in today's Irish Independent, "Greeks are on average almost 40pc poorer than they were in 2008 ... laying bare the impact of a brutal recession and austerity measures the Government may be forced to extend into next year". The plight in this country in the comparable years mirrors what happened in Greece. Our unfortunate citizens who are at the lower rungs of the ladder are suffering. I plead with the Government to review immediately and reverse the draconian decisions that were taken in last week's budget.

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