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

These two amendments seek reports on the cumulative effects of social welfare cuts, not the cumulative effects of tax cuts, a matter for the Minister for Finance, or those who have managed to get back to work. Thankfully, there are many going back to work, but it must be remembered that 500,000 young people who could have contributed to our society have emigrated. There are many others who are dependent on social welfare, the most vulnerable in our society, who were referred to in the programme for Government as the least well-off.

People in receipt of disability allowance often care for others, but the respite care grant has been cut. Workers have benefitted from child and maternity benefits and they may have been unfortunate enough to have had to depend on jobseeker's allowance at some point, but all of these payments have been cut.

The country has experienced extreme circumstances and the Minister presumes that those who are totally dependent upon social welfare payments will try to avail of exceptional needs payments due to the cuts I listed. Whenever a new cut is made or a new tax imposed the Minister trots out the line that these people can avail of exceptional needs payments through the supplementary welfare system. Last year exceptional needs payments totalled €69.4 million and this year the figure is expected to be in the region of €31 million. The amount has fallen substantially, and this has not occurred because the cumulative effect of cuts has lowered the need for payments - it has fallen simply because the budget was cut. The Minister ignored this fact in her contribution.

See this speech in context