Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Social welfare is set up for the assistance of disadvantaged groups, mainly as a back-up for people who are in need. I compliment people working in the service that is available to our office and many other offices throughout the country. I recognise the good work they do and are doing in an efficient and effective manner.

As with all services, there are a minority of people who will take advantage and create issues for the system. I also recognise the many people who are working but qualify for nothing. They work hard and often feel they should qualify for more assistance, as they believe they are the squeezed working class. For example, when two people with a child are working, their costs include inflation, rent, mortgage, insurance and even education. When they look at all the bills that come in, they see there is nothing left, which is disheartening for them. It is also very discouraging for people who go out to work. We talked about carers who look after our vulnerable, such as people who are disabled. We look at all these people who cannot afford to put food on the table, even though they are working.

There are also escalating fuel costs for people who are working and the issue of home help. From a carer's perspective, for nurses working in hospitals and people going to nursing homes to care for people, we are again looking at fuel costs, which the Government has not tackled. On electricity costs, it is not yesterday that we asked the Government to help out on the energy crisis. We asked the Government to help 12 months ago, but it is late coming to the table every time. We now see that energy companies have made more than €1 billion in profits. The Government will sign up for €120 per kilowatt hour, when Wind Energy Ireland has predicted it can produce wind energy for €50 per kilowatt hour. We are still €70 off from giving energy at a good rate in order to bring down people's electricity bills. The Government has given a €600 credit to be paid in €200 instalments but that is inclusive of VAT, which means the credit is actually €550. Every time we ask the Government to help, it is coming to the base in second and third place. We have to push and push it all the time. It is as if it is disconnected from the working people of Ireland. Every time the Rural Independent Group asks the Government to do something, it tries to make it its own idea.

The Impaired Farm Credit Bill will come before the House for a vote tomorrow night. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, rejected it and did not even want to amend it to allow for the protection of the family home from vulture funds. Members of the Government will come to the Chamber tomorrow night representing counties. I am looking across the Chamber at Deputies who represent counties. They will be watched tomorrow night, if they vote against their county, the farming community and the family homes of people who put them in the House to represent them. Every one of those Deputies will be watched tomorrow night to see what they do to vulnerable people in this country. That is what the Government should look at, not the protection of banks and vulture funds. It should come down to earth to working class people on the ground who are paying through the nose for everything. All the Government does is to create inflation, which is bringing more hardship on them.

Three butcher shops have closed in Newcastle West due to energy costs. I visited one butcher recently who told me his family had 100 years of tradition as butchers but he is close to closing his doors. He said he can either raise prices, which he knows people cannot afford, or close the doors. People will then go to the big supermarkets where there is a monopoly. This is about small and medium enterprises. I was in Limerick the other night where we have seen SMEs flourish, but we have small companies and businesses that are crying out for help. The people on the ground and the grassroots are looking for help. I ask the Minister to look at the people the Government represents.

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