Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was not expecting a discussion on budget 2015 which we will have in October, but many changes can be made by ministerial order. Some of what we are discussing is Voted expenditure, but in many instances savings have been made, for example, through increases in employment or because so many unemployed persons have emigrated. I asked the Minister a question when we discussed the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill last week. Given the many pronouncements made by her and her Labour Party colleagues concerning a change in attitude, perhaps she might consider prior to the announcement of the budget using some of these savings to reverse a number of ministerial orders instead of sending the money back into the black hole of the Exchequer. She mentioned the respite care grant. Although it was granted last Thursday to many people, it has been €325 short for the past two years. We are facing into another winter, yet the Government cut six weeks from the fuel allowance period for 60,000 or more recipients. Perhaps these cuts might be reversed by using the saving of €24 million, although it would not meet the entire figure of €136 million or €138 million.

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