Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We need to consider the details, implementation, major mistakes and false promises made in the programme for Government and the urgent need for reform and change. I mean radical, sensible change in order that all citizens will be treated in a respectful and equitable manner. The words "equality" and "respect" are often absent from this debate and Irish society. We need to be serious about these issues and give them top priority. All parties promised reform and change at the last general election. How far have they succeeded?

There has been a lot of talk about the consultants to Irish Water and the expenditure of €180 million and financial and business models, but why, three years on, is there a delay in the business model? Is there another scam before the local and European elections are held on 23 May? We need to tackle this issue. People are jumping up and down about consultants and other aspects of Irish Water, yet approximately 40% of water in Dublin is leaking from the pipes every day. I would like to see some Ministers jumping up and down about saving money and plugging these leaks. The questions of the free water allowance and the subvention must also be considered professionally. There is no point in doing laps of honour this week to celebrate the exit from the bailout when people want these problems solved immediately.

The abuse survivor, Louise O'Keeffe, had a major victory at the European Court of Human Rights, but why did the Government persevere in challenging her in that court? Why did it spend taxpayers' money on sending its top legal people to hound her? That was a scam and a scandal, yet there was no debate about this case. There are other victims of child sexual abuse. The Government should back off and stop using public money to pay legal people to torment these victims. Louise O'Keeffe showed great courage, having put up with horrific abuse by a local schoolteacher and in dealing with the trauma of fighting her case and practically going penniless to prove her point. The Government has some neck in sending people to challenge wonderful, brave individuals such as Louise O'Keeffe. That is another example of its use of public money. It should cop itself on and stop tormenting victims.

The Government promised to introduce universal health insurance by 2016. I strongly support this policy, but the targets are already in doubt and there are concerns about whether the Government has fully thought through its implementation. Help has been offered recently for homeowners in mortgage distress. What about the long-term arrears of many of these families? The Government has stated it will reduce health care costs, but people are frightened about their health care. They are leaving the private health insurance market in droves because of the cost.

The Government argues regularly that it has protected base lines in social welfare, but it forgot to announce to the public - it knows this anyway - that the dole for people under the age of 26 years had been cut by €44. Senator Feargal Quinn introduced a magnificent Bill on upward-only rent reviews in the Seanad where it was passed, but when it comes back to the Dáil, the Government will vote it down. An example of another broken promise is the recent abandonment of the commitment to reach 0.7% of GNP in foreign aid.

Deputy Dessie Ellis spoke about the scandal of housing lists and the numbers of families affected, but the bigger issue is the homelessness crisis in Dublin city. A total of 4,613 people are using homeless services, of whom 1,958 are newly homeless. The Government has to up its game in that respect. I speak as a former full-time voluntary worker with Simon and soup runner in Dublin city.

I worked with Simon in a voluntary capacity before I ever got involved in politics and have direct experience of the problem. The soup runners and front-line workers can provide the solutions for many of these complex problems, if we listen to them.

The dirty dozen cuts have been written out of the story in the past 12 months. A full year payment of property tax is due in 2014. Child benefit has been cut by €10 for the fourth and subsequent children in a family. Prescription charges have risen to €2.50 per item. Stamp duty on pensions was increased to 0.75%. Over 35,000 people will lose their medical cards. The telephone allowance for the elderly has been abolished. Yesterday I was contacted by a senior citizen in my constituency who was very upset about losing the allowance because €9.50 was a lot of money to him. The jobseeker's allowance was cut to €100 a week for those aged between 18 and 24 years. The bereavement grant of €800 was abolished. College fees, the subject of another broken promise, will increase to €2,750 this year and €3,000 in 2015. Maternity benefit was cut to €230 a week, thereby costing new mothers €832 this year. The first-time buyer's mortgage interest supplement was closed off to new entrants. The threshold for the old age pension has increased to 66 years. These are the dirty dozen cuts, but there are many others.

When the Government introduced employment measures such as the employment investment incentive, the seed capital scheme and the Revenue job assist scheme, I applauded them as wonderful ideas, but I would like to see facts and figures for the numbers assisted and jobs created. We regularly hear people say the only game in town is "jobs, jobs, jobs," but then we see people like Wilbur Ross make a killing on Bank of Ireland shares, even as the crisis continues for those with mortgages. Mr. Ross and other billionaires appear to have fantastic financial advice when it comes to getting away with stunts.

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