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

The Minister of State is the right man in the right place and the longer he sits in his current seat, the better.

First, all day today I have been receiving calls from people who are in receipt of various payments and are due to receive an increase in those payments. They have been asking me why some increases are being implemented at midnight tonight but they must wait until next March for their increases. It is a fair question. We all know the reason, but it is unfair for people who are struggling, whether they have disabilities, are elderly or whatever their personal circumstances. It is awful that they must wait for so long even though they must start paying the increases after midnight tonight. That point should be made.

I went through the budget in great detail to see if there was anything in the health budget that would help people whose lives are dependent on necessary drugs. They are living from week to week at present. I refer in particular to the people who are waiting for the drug Respreeza, which treats a lung illness. Unfortunately, they were notified by the drug company that the drug treatment plan was going to be discontinued at the end of September. They are now living from week to week, with some of them running on reserves and others having nothing. These are serious issues and I had hoped they would be dealt with in the budget. We must take care of people who are relying on a drug to keep them alive, whatever the cost. I have said repeatedly here that we cannot put a price on a human being's life. We cannot tell somebody that it is costing too much to continue to provide them with their drugs. We - the State, the Government and the health service - should not be allowed to do that. Every person's life is extremely important.

I have been studying the sugar tax very closely. It is another tax and when something like this is created it might be with the intention of doing something good. There is much talk about obesity, people's weight and so forth. However, I do not believe one can legislate for people's behaviour. If they want to eat too much or drink a sugary drink, I do not see taxing that as a solution. I have studied what Mr. Kevin McPartland from the Irish Beverage Council has said on this and noted his views. He opposes such a tax, and I believe he is right. The group he represents is right. Putting 30 cent on drinks with more than 8 g of sugar per 100 ml is ridiculous. We are simply putting another unwanted burden of taxation on families. That is not right. I do not believe it will make a difference to people's use of sugary drinks.

The same applies to increasing the cost of cigarettes. I said in the House many years ago that I would be happier if nobody in Ireland smoked a cigarette. However, it is a free country and people smoke them. It is not an illegal activity. They are perfectly entitled to smoke. I do not agree with increasing the price of a packet of cigarettes for the working or retired man or woman. It is a choice for people to make themselves if they wish to smoke. It is a free country. However, I do not believe we should continuously tax something people wish to do. Where does one finish with the taxation? I do not agree with it.

On behalf of the people of County Kerry, who I am glad to represent in the Dáil, I welcome the retention of the VAT rate for restaurants, pubs and the hospitality sector. There are great towns in County Kerry such as Killarney, the tourism capital of the world, Killorglin, Dingle, Kenmare and Tralee. They are the finest towns and can compete with any place in the western world or anywhere in the world. These places give great employment and great value for people who visit our county, be they from around Ireland, Europe or elsewhere in the world.

We do not want the VAT rate to be changed because hotels in Dublin believe they can charge what they like. Hotels in County Kerry are competitive and offer value for money. I am not being critical of hotels in Dublin but we must call a spade a spade. They are very expensive and charge whatever they like on weekends when concerts or other events take place, which is not right.

I like to hear what people have to say and the journal.iedid a survey this evening in which visitors to the website were asked whether they felt were better off, worse off or their circumstances were unchanged after the budget. Some 46% of respondents indicated they did not feel better or worse off. While they did not say their circumstances were disimproving, they did not believe they were improving. This is the view of people on the ground.

Considering the improvement in the economy and that the Government had some money, albeit not an awful lot, to play with, why in the name of God did the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection not insist that the bereavement grant be reintroduced? On one day last week, I received five calls from people in genuine need because they owed money to undertakers who specifically asked me whether a bereavement grant was available. I was sorry to tell them that one of the decisions of the previous Government, which was known for its high-handed and outrageous behaviour because it had a large majority, was to abolish the grant. I am grateful to Fianna Fáil for entering into a confidence and supply arrangement with the Government and Independent Members such as the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, who supported the Government because we needed a Government.

Why does the Government not accept that it has been humbled and reintroduce the bereavement grant? People find themselves in genuine need when a death occurs. Households face unprecedented bills which they cannot afford to pay. These are honourable people who want to pay their bills. The bereavement grant should have been introduced in the budget. I respectfully ask the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to urge his Government colleagues to reintroduce the grant in some shape or form even at this late stage and however they manage to do it. We all know things can happen at a later time and I ask that this be done now.

I appreciate the funding provided to community employment schemes over the years and the great work these schemes have done. Last night, I travelled around south Kerry with my nephew, Johnny, and we visited Caherdaniel, Castlecove, Sneem, Waterville, Valentia, Portmagee, Ballinskelligs, Kells and Glenbeigh. We were everywhere.

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