Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The news is that the impact of the decision to unwind the rebalancing is estimated to reduce an average domestic customer's annual bill by €40. This is what the Government's amendment calls for. The Minister has already heard speakers this evening. Everybody struggles with household debt. A recent interesting article stated that fuel poverty equals household poverty equals child poverty. I have written a note on this although I do not like doing so. It was a little article in The Irish Timesabout addressing child poverty, the serious mental health problems it causes, and evidence that poverty adds to adversity in childhood, which is linked to neuroendocrine and pro-inflammatory changes that lead to higher incidences of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers. It goes on and on. This is what we are building. This the legacy we will have by not doing the right thing. This was endorsed by Professor Susan Smith, Dr. Edel McGinnity, Dr. Tadg Lehane, Dr. Anna Marie Naughton, Dr. Niamh Irving, Dr. David Gibney, Dr. Catherine Mullen, Dr. Eoin Monaghan, Dr. Brid Shanahan, Dr. Patrick O'Donnell, Dr. Mary Favier, Dr. Fiona Monahan and others. It is there. It is printed in the press.

In this short space of time I ask the Minister please to do the right thing. The motion calls for four simple solutions for families and businesses who are struggling and crippled. I have raised the issue previously with the Minister of a businessman with three shops who had an annual or monthly bill of €30,000 that had increased to more than €70,000. This cannot be sustained. We cannot give people an extra few bob piecemeal. It is their own bobs because they paid the tax. I ask the Minister to do the right thing and support the motion and implement the changes.

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