Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sometimes I think the Taoiseach and I live in different Irelands, although it could not be the case, given that this is such a small place. Although some are doing well and there may be an improvement, it is a fact that one third of children live in consistent poverty; this is not made up. The ESRI told us that the top earners would benefit the most from budget 2015, while the lowest income households would gain the least. The Taoiseach is bound to know this. Pay cuts and pension levies have been imposed on almost 300,000 public sector workers. The Taoiseach did not even ignore what I said but prattled on. In eight years 500,000 taxpayers have left the State which, I presume, has a population of approximately 2.5 million taxpayers. The people we lost were mostly young people.

In the past year the Taoiseach established a low pay commission. What on earth is it for? Is it to tell us it is not good, nice or pretty to live on low pay? We know this and the commission has not even been set up yet. On Saturday Sinn Féin is sponsoring a living wage conference. Perhaps the Taoiseach might come. I will send him the details, if he wishes. It will examine not a minimum wage but a living wage, what it takes to look after children, spouses and elderly relatives, in the way the Taoiseach and I would look after ours.

There is good news. It is good that the restrictions on dairy production have been lifted. However, not all farmers are big ranchers. The Taoiseach mentioned the world food shortage. On the other hand, given that some have the money and a grá for the good, green food we can produce, the agricultural industry could thrive in the future. Just over one week ago the IFA was lobbying about how GLAS was being worked out and farmers had to jump through so many hoops and regulations to receive what should be their entitlements. The Government is out of touch and needs to listen to what the social partners are stating. Farmers, the trade union movement and the voluntary and community sectors could be the experts on how to get what the Government has not yet achieved, namely, equality, an anti-poverty strategy and a move away from the disastrous social consequences which we have consistently warned are bound to happen, given the cuts the Government has implemented.

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