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

I will see how I get on. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys. Before I go into my analysis of the legislation, I would like to support what my colleague, Deputy Connaughton, said about community employment schemes. I am strongly of the view that we need to be creative and radical on this issue. We have all had positive experience of community employment schemes changing the lives of vulnerable people. I urge the Minister of State to note the cross-party support for such schemes. That could be something positive. In fairness to the Minister of State, he has an open mind on this issue. I strongly endorse what my colleague, Deputy Connaughton, has said.

I thank the Chair for giving me an opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015. This debate should be about people who do not have jobs, the extremely low-paid, the many children and families that are living in poverty and lone-parent families. There can be no running away from this matter, which must be our focus. The Government needs to face facts and act in a calm and compassionate manner. Of course we have to support our approach with sound economic arguments rather than soundbites. The money that is required for social welfare, education, disability, lone parents or investment, all of which are issues that need to be prioritised, has to come from somewhere. Priority must be given to children in poverty, people on trolleys and people with disabilities. I apologise to guys and girls for pointing out that when one has such priority issues, other issues have to wait. There are other issues that can wait until we resolve the priority issues.

The most recent Exchequer returns, which were published yesterday, show that the Government has €925 million more than it had last year. It is €345 million ahead of target. I welcome that because it is important. When one examines those figures, one can see that there is room to make improvements in the priority issues I have mentioned. I will give an example of a priority issue with which I have been dealing over the last week. Child Vision provides an excellent service to blind and disabled children in Drumcondra, which is in my constituency. Over the last six years, Child Vision has sustained cuts in excess of €821,000. It has had to contend with a 20% cut in its funding in the last five years. Child Vision's annual cost of governance is in excess of €70,000. It has had to pay an additional €50,000 for HIQA registration and works. Child Vision has received no additional funding to meet these costs. In other words, costs and bureaucracy are coming at those involved with Child Vision. To date, it has seen voluntary staff wage cuts of 10%, reduced maternity pay by 50%, reduced the staff costs of lower-paid staff, stopped using agency staff, made changes to sick pay policy, reduced its number of staff members and increased its fundraising activity to meet its annual shortfalls.

I raise this today because we saw the figures and the positive news yesterday. At the same time, the HSE is seeking to impose a cut of €54,000 on Child Vision in Drumcondra. If this cut is implemented, on top of the increased costs since 2009, Child Vision will have to consider making more cuts to its services. It has completed its budget for 2015 and there is an estimated shortfall of €120,000. That is chicken feed compared to some of the figures we heard yesterday. If Child Vision does not get this €120,000, it will be forced to close a residential house which currently allows six children who are blind and have multiple disabilities to access independent living skills and education. These children will be left with no option but to leave. Six social care professionals will be cut and Child Vision will have to pay redundancy packages, the minimum value of which has been estimated to be €100,000. I raise this in the context of where the money comes from. When we are talking about social welfare, it is important to think of the welfare of blind and disabled children.

The main purpose of the Bill itself is to amend the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to provide a legislative basis for the introduction of the back to work family dividend. This measure, which was announced in budget 2015, will help jobseekers with families and lone parents to return to work. We have to ensure we protect the rights and incomes of loan parents.

See this speech in context