Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are elements of this Bill that are to be welcomed but there are also aspects about which I am concerned. I am sure the Minister of State is also concerned about them. For example, self-employed people have been let down badly over many years by successive Governments. Not enough was done for them at the time of the crash. People who were providing much needed employment were left with nothing for themselves and they could not even access financial assistance. These people worked tremendously hard to create jobs for themselves and others. I am referring not to massive contractors but to people who created jobs for family members or their neighbours, something that is extremely important in every community. People who are self-employed create jobs for themselves and for other people. I acknowledge that measures have been introduced that will open up access to benefits for them which, up to now, have not been available to them. However, more must be done for these people in the future. One of the biggest talking points in the constituency I represent in the aftermath of the announcement of the budget was the increase in pension and other social welfare payments and why recipients of those payments would not get the increase until next March. While an increase of €5 per week is a step in the right direction, it is not enough and recipients should not have to wait until next March to get it.

With regard to dental benefits, I have been campaigning on this issue for many years. I have always held the view that investment in dental care is an investment in the future because if people look after their teeth from an early age, it will save us money in the long term. I welcome the reintroduction of the dental benefits scheme but more needs to be done in that regard also.

In the context of farming families, everybody currently engaged in farming is struggling, be they involved in dairy, beef or sheep farming. Farm incomes - as a result of a combination of reasons - have never been worse. While I welcome the changes in respect of farm assist, which, again, are a step in the right direction, more needs to be done.

On lone parents and the incentives for employment and education assistance, lone parents are struggling on a daily and weekly basis to meet the high cost of living. The €5 increase which many people are to receive will be negated by the high cost of home and car insurance. People entitled to the €5 per week increase will have to pay at least €5 or more on increased home or car insurance costs. Another issue of concern is the high cost of education. Parents are being asked by schools to make voluntary contributions towards the upkeep of facilities. I know that not every school is asking for these contributions and I do not apportion any blame to those schools that are asking for them because it is not as if they are not doing something useful with the money. They would not ask for this money if they did not need it for the running and upkeep of school facilities. This is a major concern. Another concern is the high cost of school transport, particularly for parents who have a number of school-going children. The cost of sending children to school in terms of books, transport - if they have to pay for it - and uniforms is a savage expense on struggling families.

With regard to the rent allowance caps, this issue of rising rents was discussed during Leaders' Questions. The question that arises is whether an increase in rent allowance caps would lead to further increases in rent. I would not want that to happen. However, owing to the low level of available property for rent in Ireland, rents are increasing. While nothing can be done about that until such time as the report on the issue has been completed, serious consideration will have to be given to increasing the rent allowance caps. I am not asking that the Government do anything extraordinary or increase the caps too much because that would only lead to rents increasing further. As I said, I would not like that to happen. At the same time, I am dealing on a daily basis with single people, couples and families who cannot find properties to rent within the rent allowance caps applicable to them. These people are unable to find properties that conform with the regulations and stipulations set out in the current scheme. I call on the Minister to take a serious look at this issue, which is causing awful problems. People are trying to do their best. Obviously, the availability of more properties to rent might help calm matters in the context of the rising cost of rents. Rents in Dublin, in comparison with the rest of the country, are scandalous but that is obviously a supply issue.

I welcome the fact that the Christmas bonus is being increased to 85%.

Obviously, I would have liked to see it go to 100%. I hope it will happen at the next budget as it should. I know that is what the Minister of State wants.

Rural Deputies are acutely aware of people living in rural locations who did away with landline phones when the telephone allowance was cut and relied on their mobile phones instead. However, in doing so they lost their connection to Neighbourhood Watch schemes and alert systems, leaving them vulnerable. They decided that they could not afford to keep the landline phone without the telephone allowance. It is a serious and important matter which must be looked at because the safety and protection of our fine elderly people living in rural and urban locations must be thought of at all times. They are the people who built up this country and we should take care of them today.

I cannot praise highly enough the work that is carried out in rural social schemes the length and breadth of this country. Of course, I welcome the extra 500 places, but while it sounds like a lot, in the context of the size of the country it is not. That is another thing that could be looked at and we do not have to wait until the next budget to do so. The people working in those schemes are making a valuable and important contribution. More spaces are needed. If these people are going to be paid a social welfare payment and if they want to get on a scheme, do valuable work, get out in the morning and do jobs in their communities, is it not something to be welcomed? It should be encouraged because anything a person will do in the course of the day is better than doing nothing. If they are helping and contributing whether in a local football or GAA field or in a town through Tidy Towns, it is great business that should be encouraged. The more people can be put on a scheme if that is what they want, the more welcome it is. Another issue is eligibility to get on a scheme and the length of time a person can stay on a scheme. If a person wants to stay on a scheme and the work and space is there, I do not see why that should not be encouraged. I do not see why people should not have that place. Money invested in that type of work is beneficial in the absence of full-time sustainable jobs.

Any time we study caring for the elderly, it is right and proper to focus on keeping people at home, which is, after all, the most cost-effective way to care for them rather than to have them in a community hospital or, more expensively again, an acute bed in a larger hospital. The best place for a person where his or her medical condition allows is at home. We can never praise those who provide care for elderly, sick and disabled people enough. They are providing a great service and saving the State a great deal of money. They are being kind to a person in his or her own home which is the place he or she will be happiest. If a person could finish his or her time in his or her home, is it not a great deal better than to be in any hospital setting? That is not to say that our community and general hospitals do not provide great care where a person does have to finish his or her time there and we are very grateful for that work. However, if we can ensure that our carers receive allowances that encourage them and make it feasible for them to care for elderly, sick and disabled people at home, it should be done. It saves money every day of the week and is simply a better system.

There is only so much money in the pool at the end of the day. At any time, a Government must make decisions. However, I always ask in relation to budgetary matters that people think of the elderly, sick and disabled and young people and try to help all sectors of society in a fair and proper fashion. We should not leave people behind as has happened in the past. In future budgets, we want to protect those people who are vulnerable and take care of them.

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