Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 3, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following:“Review of all expenditure reductions

2.The Minister for Social Protection shall review all expenditure reductions within her Department resulting in a reduction in a rate of payment or the ceasing of a welfare payment or scheme since 2011, review options for restoring those payments to their previous levels and shall bring forward a report on same.”.

This is a repeat of an amendment I tabled on Committee Stage. I ask for a report outlining the reductions in the various social welfare payments over the past number of years to be compiled by the Minister and Department. As the Minister of State will be aware, the country has come through a horrendous recession and those who have suffered the most have been among the poorest in the country, that is, people who are forced, for one reason or another, to rely on social welfare.

According to the Department's estimates, almost €2 billion has been taken out of the social welfare budget over the past number of years.

See this speech in context