Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is no plan whatsoever. With Fine Gael, its senior Ministers seem to be more connected with any vacant role in Europe than they are with their own communities. What have they done? They have allowed any energy in the Government to be led by Fianna Fáil. In this budget, we have seen Fianna Fáil invest in their own reliables: landlords and developers. For people of my generation, it sends a chill down their spines that the fox is indeed right back in the henhouse. Fianna Fáil is beginning to carve up and structure this country in its own image. We know how that ends all the time.

We in the Labour Party know the impact the cost of living has had on all our people. In our clinics, we see it every week. Let us get down to the basics. Let us get down to what the Government has done on wages. It has increased the minimum wage by €1.40 to €12.70. That is nowhere near what we need. We need a living wage of €14.80 just to keep up with basic levels of living standards, but again this Government have fallen short. What comfort can people take when the strength of the economy - the Taoiseach said last week the economy is beyond full employment and I am trying to get my head around what that means - will not manifest itself in the improved living standards of the working class and ordinary people? The minimum wage must be increased and must be delivered as a living wage.

What is crystal clear in this budget is that those with disabilities are the ones who are left behind. We see it first in the fact that there is no mention of what will happen next week with the section 39, section 10 and section 56 workers.

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