Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will focus on three areas of the budget with which I and the Labour Party have an issue. Some €105 million has been allocated for disability services. While that is welcome, we must recognise that the most important document released this year was the disability capacity review. It indicates a demographic need and an unmet need for an investment of €350 million in the disability sector. The Labour Party's alternative budget prioritised and costed that measure. It is something the Government needed to do in its budget. The €350 million is not static. In 2027, €450 million will be required. In 2032, that figure will be €550 million. That is for unmet need as well as demographic need. The source document to which I referred is the Government's work and those needs ought to have been met in this budget.

The communication regarding the increase that has been allocated was unfortunate. This sector has been crying out for dedicated funding from this Government across a whole range of services and areas. One area on which we are going to focus in the coming year is housing for people with disabilities. The Housing for All document was silent on that issue. For all its pages, bluster, graphics and policies, it is relatively silent in the area of housing for people with disabilities. The budget, unfortunately, was also silent in that area.

I will also focus on the extension of free GP care for children under the age of seven. Like many other parents, I welcome that move but it has been six years since former Deputy Alex White delivered this scheme. He went in where others failed and with courage and ability, took on the senior Minister, who was against it, the vested interests of the GPs and the Department, and got that scheme up and running in a proper way for children under the age of six. No family in Ireland, when a child woke up in the middle of the night with a rash, whether a skin irritation or meningitis, had to worry about a €60 fee for a GP because of the scheme. He was not thanked for it by the electorate but that man can sleep at night knowing he delivered something for the people of Ireland. The fact that it has taken six years to add one year to that scheme is a thundering disgrace. At this rate, it will be 2081 before all children will be entitled to free GP care. We believe GP care should be free for all. That scheme should have been advanced, year-on-year, from when it was first introduced.

This is not a statement of intent from the Government in respect of free GP care, primary care or Sláintecare. It is a pattern repeated across the entire budget. It is a little hotchpotch or add-on to keep people quiet. The Government has decided to give a little bit here and a little bit there and not to cause too much fuss so that it does not get too much criticism. This scheme is important for working families and families on low incomes. It needs to be extended beyond those aged under 7 to all children. At this rate, I have no faith it ever will be.

The youth travel card measure also needs to be examined. This scheme was obviously rushed to get it into this budget. At the meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications today, the Secretary General and senior officials acknowledged that the Minister came late with the idea. They said they had to get their thinking caps on to deliver it and that there would be issues with regard to the technology. They said they will do their best to ensure that as many of those under 24 as possible can apply for it. Not all people under 24 will be able to avail of this. The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, represents a rural constituency. A large part of my constituency is also rural. This will benefit a lot of Dublin constituencies. It may also benefit some constituencies in Cork, such as the Minister, Deputy Coveney's, but it probably will not. The Government has scored a big own goal by rushing this through. We said there should have been a free scheme for all aged under 24. That would have taken the technology aspect out of it but, unfortunately, that suggestion was not taken up.

Not enough was done to incentivise the use of electric vehicles. The Government needs to start looking at a scrappage scheme. Some nine years before it wants to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road, they are still far too expensive. No person on ordinary or even decent wages can afford an electric vehicle.

As the Minister for Defence is in the Chamber, I will mention that it has been noted that the budget was very silent on defence. I know we are waiting for the commission's report to come out and the Minister is in tune with what the Defence Forces are saying - I am not saying he is not - but, while he is in the Chamber, it would remiss of me not to mention that the Defence Forces were expecting more in this budget. I will leave it there.

See this speech in context