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

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk about a few very important issues that I can address under the Social Welfare Bill. While I welcome the extension of the fuel allowance thresholds, I asked the Minister by way of a Topical Issue matter a year or so ago about those people who are left outside the scheme and do not qualify for it because they are on welfare benefits. For instance, a pensioner living with a cancer patient on illness benefit will not qualify for the fuel allowance. People on contributory payments, such as jobseeker's benefit, illness benefit, enhanced illness benefit, occupational injuries benefit, maternity benefit or disabled benefit will not qualify either. I raised this issue previously with this Minister. This situation is entirely wrong and not acceptable. These people would not have received benefit payments if they had not paid stamps in the first place. To think that they are ruled out of qualifying for fuel allowance is very hurtful to some. They are constantly making it known that they are being left behind.

The cost of fuel is hurting and hitting so many people.

The Government says it will do something about a cap but it is far too late and it is not enough. Electricity companies are raking it in. Their profits have tripled. Does this mean that the Government is taking three times the amount of tax?

Pensioners living on their own are still struggling. Perhaps a couple on two pensions are barely surviving but pensioners living on their own are really struggling to pay for everything such as a car, especially people in rural Ireland who have no public transport. As has been said, young families where parents are working must leave their children in crèches and pay baby-sitters. They are paying for fuel and everything else. Anyone on the road is murdered with extreme costs. Fuel, be it diesel or petrol, costs more than €2 per litre. It is not acceptable. The Government promised it would do something about that in the budget but it did not help those people at all. Those people are paying for us in this House while facing taxes of every creed and description. They are being driven down to the ground.

When we press the Taoiseach about a category of people who are under pressure, he invariably tells them to go to their community welfare officer as they should be entitled to the supplementary welfare payment. There are so many people who are trying to access this payment but cannot access their CWOs because there are reams of people, some of whom are coming from other countries, and they cannot get inside the door. If there are more people outside the counter, the Government must put more staff inside the counter to deal with them. It is just common sense. Telling people living in rural Ireland in places like Lauragh and Gneevgullia to come back to their social welfare office tomorrow is not satisfactory for them or for me representing them. It is not good enough. If the Government is ensuring there are more people going to community welfare offices, it needs to put more people on the other side of the counter but it has not done that. It has not provided more doctors in communities when thousands more depend on them. We were already struggling. The Government has done nothing to address that. It is not good enough to just provide a roof and a bed for people. You need to have services as well.

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