Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

People need hope and as much certainty as possible during this global pandemic and this budget was an opportunity to provide just that. While the headline figure of €16.75 billion additional expenditure suggests a progressive budget, in reality the inequality gap continues to widen. Covid-19 has laid bare the mismanagement of public services and the misguided policies of successive Governments. Most importantly, it has shown us the importance of undervalued workers and carers.

The time spent on caring work in Ireland is the third highest in the EU and ESRI research shows that this is because of the low level of State involvement when it comes to supporting carers. When we put this Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party budget to the test, we must ask what is in it for carers, who save the State €4 billion per year. The answer is a miserly 41 cent per day increase to the carer's support grant. The Government could have removed the means test for the carer's allowance. A care assistant contacted me last night to ask if there was any increase in the minimum wage or for carers working long term in nursing homes and I had to tell her that apart from the 10 cent per hour increase in the minimum wage, there was nothing there for her. References were made earlier to people digging down and digging deep and she did that but there was still nothing there for her. She responded that the budget was all about the economy, although she did not disagree that businesses need help. She said that having worked so hard through the first wave of Covid-19, in the middle of the second wave, carers now deserved something better than 10 cent and it is very hard to argue with that. At the same time, Government Deputies feel it is appropriate to accept a €2,000 pay increase. This budget has failed our front-line healthcare workers and family carers.

I am glad the Minister of State is here to talk about disabilities and I very much welcome the increase in that budget. However, I plead with the Minister of State to ensure that the budget is spent on upholding the human rights of people with disabilities and on getting rid of the protectionism I witness every day in that sector. I do not want to see any more managers or middle managers appointed. The money must go directly to people with disabilities and to transport services to bring them to disabled facilities, as referred to by my colleague, Deputy Tully. The most important issue is how that money is spent. I welcome the announcement of 1,250 community beds, which are sorely needed, but what will this mean on the ground? I hope we can now look forward to the long-awaited reinstatement of the beds in Belmullet hospital. That will be the litmus test for this budget.

The net impact of Covid-19 on the third level sector is at least €328 million according to the Parliamentary Budget Office. Universities are projected to hit €1 billion of debt in this academic year. As funding per undergraduate student is 50% lower than it was in 2008, we still have very serious problems to address in this area.

We must remember all the people who have been left behind in this budget. There are many of them and that is what concerns me most.

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