Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will reply first to Deputy Sean Fleming who made criticisms about the operation of a guillotine today. It is 3.40 p.m. and there is no other Opposition spokesperson offering to speak on the Social Welfare Bill yet we had to waste time this morning voting on the issue. We had to listen to Deputy Fleming giving out about a guillotine being imposed this afternoon, yet the Fianna Fáil benches are empty as are those of Sinn Féin and People Before Profit.

I always find Deputy Fitzmaurice constructive and informative and thank him for the spirit in which he made his contribution. I thank Deputies on all sides of the House for their constructive remarks on budget 2016, in particular the social welfare budget. Some Deputies, of all sides of the House, have been quite constructive and positive. Some Deputies would have done well in a comedy show but I will not go down that road.

Most economists said we would still be in a bailout last year and making corrections of another €1 billion in this budget. This Labour-Fine Gael budget has put €1.5 billion back into the economy, which has been welcomed by many. The social welfare budget is built on the foundations of the recovery. It has four key aims, namely, to increase the supports for pensioners aged 66 and older, strengthen supports for families with children, increase the momentum to date in helping jobseekers back to work, which is very important, and to provide targeted assistance for vulnerable groups. We are making these improvements in a fair and sustainable way.

A number of contributions to the debate indicated the Government did not do enough to restore the rates of social welfare payments to the levels they were at before the crisis. I note with interest the proposals on budget 2016 by parties in opposition. I was struck, in particular, by the contributions of Deputies Fleming, O'Dea and Keaveney who criticised this budget. Deputy Fleming said the €3 increase in the pension payment was miserable. I can tell this House what is miserable. In its pre-budget submissions, Fianna Fáil proposed no increase in the Christmas bonus. That was Fianna Fáil's way. It proposed no increase in the fuel allowance and carer's allowance. Unfortunately the Fianna Fáil Members are not here to contradict or argue with me. We heard their remarks on the minimum wage but they should remember that Fianna Fáil reduced the minimum wage by €1 per hour. It was a Labour-Fine Gael Government that increased the minimum wage twice in its term of office. It has been increased by 20%, which is not enough, and the increase should go further. However, the party that reduced the minimum wage by €1 per hour is not here to answer me.

This Government is introducing two weeks of paternity leave. What did Fianna Fáil propose? Nothing. This Government is adding a second free preschool year. What did Fianna Fáil propose? Nothing.

I welcome Fianna Fáil's spokesperson who has arrived in the House.

Every single time I have been in this House, Fianna Fáil has been scaremongering, saying the free travel scheme was going to be abolished. I have heard it for the past five years. I heard it this year too. What did Fianna Fáil propose to support the free travel scheme in this budget? Nothing. What did this Government do? We added €3 million to the budget, bringing it from €77 million to €80 million.

We all worry and care about our children. The sum of €676 million has been allocated in 2016 to Tusla. Deputy Fleming asked what we were going to do about this in the budget. That is what we did. What did Fianna Fáil propose? Nothing.

On many occasions, Deputy Fleming has argued back and forth across this House with me about the school meals programme. He told me how good and positive the programme is and how he needed it in the schools in his area. He said further investment was needed in it. This Government has put an extra €3 million into the programme in budget 2016, bringing the sum up to €42 million. What did Fianna Fáil propose? Nothing.

We are increasing the threshold for eligibility for family income supplement. I heard Deputy Fleming's concerns and look forward to addressing them on Committee Stage, but what did Fianna Fáil propose in relation to family income supplement? Nothing. What did it propose on job activation measures? Nothing. What did it propose on the Lansdowne Road agreement? Nothing.

I admit Fianna Fáil did propose a €5 increase in the pension but it did not suggest reinstating the Christmas bonus it abolished. We were able to restore it partially. Fianna Fáil proposed nothing on it. When Deputy Fleming stands up in this House and tells me something is miserable, Deputy Fleming should remember how miserable he made this country when he crashed and burned it. We have had to put the pieces back together. It has been hard for people to put those pieces back together. They carried the burden. They suffered the cuts. They suffered the loss of jobs.

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