Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Private Members' motion and I thank the Deputies who have brought it forward because it is so desperately needed. At a time when this Government has just caused chaos and confusion to most people, it is time for clarity and to show people support. From the beginning, the Government has said we are all in this together but the cuts to the pandemic unemployment payment have shown that this Government does not include everyone in being in it together.

It is a huge issue for people because they must decide on whether they can turn on the heating or not. For some people, this cut of €50 will mean a full shop for the week or will represent the ability to provide their families with necessities such as nappies, food, milk formula or filling their cars with petrol or diesel to drive their children to school. This €50 is a huge issue for these people because it makes all the difference for families. Now is the time for the Government to show leadership, to show people it understands the implications of the payment, to show that it understands that this was as mistake and to go back on this cut. We have given Dáil Deputies pay increases, we have appointed 64 special advisers, we have appointed super junior Ministers and there have been increases across the board for the Government and the establishment but ordinary people are only facing cuts.

I found it shocking that in the Minister's earlier comment she said we must look at the comparison between carers and people with disabilities and to put them against people who have lost their jobs for no reason but the pandemic. That is the attitude of this Government, to play the most vulnerable in society off against each other. I am standing here asking the Minister and the Government to listen to common sense and reason for God's sake and to give this payment back to people who desperately need it.

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