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

I acknowledge the increases in the budget. There are certain elements of it that are most welcome. However, the one thing of which we must be very mindful is the ever-increasing rate of inflation. In terms of what €100 will do in terms of spending power, we are not very far away from a bag of coal costing €50. In many cases, it is already over €40. Everything is so expensive. There has been a massive increase in the cost of electricity. Despite the allowances certain categories of people might have, it is still not near enough because the cost of a unit of electricity is gone through the roof.

People are struggling to keep pace with inflation, which is so difficult. We are talking about people who are unemployed, people with disabilities, people living alone and pensioners on the contributory or non-contributory pension. There is an awful anomaly when it comes to getting the fuel allowance. The fuel allowance is so important to people; it is vital. There are people who might never have needed it previously but they certainly need it now because fuel poverty is becoming a real issue.

Regarding what the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications is trying to do, previously, people were able to go along and get a bag of turf easily and accessibly in their local shops. Thanks to this Government, they cannot do this now. At a time when heat and looking after people are so important, surely this was a stupid and wrong decision. Nothing will ever stop us from saying how stupid and wrong it was.

One thing I want to do in the short time I have, and I know the Minister will be interested in this because she prides herself on what these people do, is to thank the people in County Kerry who work in our Intreo offices and deal with people every day. These are our representatives who explain things in the best way they can. There are, of course, times when they have bad news for people, in that they cannot give them an allowance or what they are looking for, but these officials are extremely kind and diligent people. I will not start naming them, but several individuals, in Killorglin, for example, retired recently who were what I would call the real, sound ambassadors for the State in that they always did their best for their clients, as we call them. They always assisted and helped and were kind in every way they could. They went far beyond the call of duty in trying to help and assist people. I again publicly thank those people. They are so important to the system because they are the representatives on the ground dealing with applicants.

Returning to the situation on the ground, we must do more because of inflation. There was a time when it could have been classed as meaningful if the pension went up by a fiver a week and as something people could do something with. Where would a pensioner be going now, for God's sake, with a fiver? The cost of everything has gone through the roof so much that we must be meaningful in the changes we make in future. We must consider every way we can assist people, especially vulnerable people. There are people, such as carers, working in the community and helping to keep people in their own homes. If people want to be kept in their own homes, let us consider the cost the State would have to bear if those people were instead inside in community or district hospitals and we were trying to take care of them there at enormous cost. This type of work is invaluable and we must try to ensure that we pay the carers and make it easier and more accessible for them to get a payment. This should be done in such a way as to allow them to be able to provide this much wanted and needed service to those people who want to stay in their own homes for as long as they possibly can.

In future, we must always try to remember the less well-off. We must try to think of making their lot better. We must try to ensure we have a greater understanding of how difficult it is for people. Recently, I highlighted a case very publicly of a person who had a couple of lumps of coal in her fire in her house. This woman was aged over 80 and was sparing the bit of coal she had outside in a bag in the hallway leading into the house because of its cost. To be honest with the Minister, it was very sad to see a person in that type of vulnerable situation. This woman was living, sleeping and eating in that room and trying her best to keep that room warm. As we say at home, it would be easy to make a shirt for yourself after looking at a situation like that. I want the Minister to understand this point.

I thank her for always being very understanding in her role and for having her feet firmly on the ground concerning this issue.

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