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

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. It is a pity that Mr. Austerity himself, Deputy Bernard Durkan, is not in the House. It was interesting to hear him praise austerity in his contribution because I thought the Government was claiming that this would be the last of the austerity budgets. However, I wonder whether people such as Deputy Durkan who talk like that are living in the real world. They refer to the end of the austerity. They should say that to the long-term unemployed, the disabled, the low paid and all our senior citizens. They know the reality of austerity on the ground and the real pain people have suffered over the past number of years and they know we have a less equal society, particularly following the budget.

There has been no focus on the issue of services for people with disabilities in the budget and there was no climbdown on the respite care grant. That could been considered. Many people with disabilities live in poverty while a significant number of them who are well qualified are unable to secure employment. A deaf man attended my clinic recently and he commented that he was "coursed" out. He is a man in this 30s who is fed up doing courses and he would love to get back into the workforce. I also met a person with cerebral palsy who is highly qualified having done loads of courses and who would love to get an administrative job. These people have been going around for the past two or three years looking for an opening, which is not acceptable.

On the broader issue of the economy, the Government says it will support small businesses, the low paid and the poor. The haulage industry, which employs approximately 50,000 people, is being hammered by motor taxation. Industry representatives sought a meeting with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport but he did not want to meet them to discuss the issue and they had to block Dublin Port to highlight their case. It is a national scandal that 2,000 people who worked in this industry have had to move to other European countries and beyond because of the high tax rates on their businesses. The 50,000 jobs in the industry are an important part of the economy. The Minister and the Taoiseach need to wake up and talk to these people before they are forced to block Dublin Port again. It is not an option to say: "I am not going to talk to them." They have to face the reality that jobs are at stake. The notion of supporting small and medium-sized business should been considered in the budget because many of them employ between five and ten people.

This is another disappointing and regressive budget. It widened the gap between rich and poor by €499 a year. The gap between the disposable income of a single unemployed person and a single person in work on €50,000 a year was measured. For example, the budget will result in a 90 cent a week increase in income for an unemployed single person while giving €14.30 a week to a single person earning €75,000 annually. Does the Minister call that a fair and responsible budget? An unemployed couple will receive €1.51 a week or €78.52 a year extra while a couple with two earners on €125,000 a year will receive an additional €23.50 a week or €1.225.64 a year as a result of the budget changes. These figures are being ignored in the debate. There is a huge gap between the rich and poor in this society and it was not bridged. The Minister had an opportunity to do something for the poor and the long-term unemployed and to restore the respite care grant for families of people with disabilities. The Government cannot say this is a positive budget when many important measures could have been taken. This is why I strongly oppose the budget.

See this speech in context