Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like previous speakers, I welcome the €96.6 billion budget. I have had a lot of phone calls from people in my area of County Carlow today. The expansion of hot meals to 900 more primary schools is really important, as is the free book scheme for textbooks and workbooks, which will be extended to up to junior certificate in secondary school. These things affect every family. It is welcome. Previous speakers spoke about the energy credit. It will be paid in three instalments of €150. Another long-promised pay-related benefit scheme for people becoming unemployed made it into this year's budget announcement, which is welcome. There will be a rise of €12 in welfare and pension payments from January. I also want to welcome the one-off €400 for people on the working family payment and those receiving the carer's, disability and blind person's allowances and the invalidity pension.

I have concerns as a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters. I believe we could have done more in the budget for disability. Perhaps we need to look at putting more funding into that area.

I also welcome the lump sum payment of €300 on the fuel allowance and €200 for those living alone, which will come before Christmas.

We have done a lot of good work in the budget but I will now outline my concerns. I spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, about them too. I had a few phone calls today to my constituency office in Carlow - everyone knows that. A lady rang me only this morning whose child is 18. Would you believe that her child turned 18 today? Her child is in leaving certificate. My understanding is that she will not get that payment because the child is in leaving certificate this year but it only starts next September. The child benefit is so important, particularly for schoolgoing children. There cannot be a huge amount of children of that age going to secondary school. Could that be looked at for this year?

I also want to ask about an issue close to my heart, which is the payment scheme for the mother and baby homes. When will that be started? I know that the Minister of State will take a note on these matters and come back to me about them.

I have spoken to many of the people who were in the mother and baby homes. Many of them have grown old and have reached an age where we need to make the payments to which they are entitled as soon as possible. Will the Minister of State revert to me on this point?

I spoke to many people involved in businesses in Carlow today. The €250 million in support for small businesses to meet the challenges of inflation is positive.

I welcome the increase in the minimum wage by €1.40 to €12.70. This poses challenges, though. I spoke to two people today who were on the housing list in Carlow. They both have part-time jobs and can qualify at the moment for Carlow County Council's housing list. If we do not do something to help, they will be taken off the housing list because the increase will put them over the threshold. While I welcome the new rate, we need to consider the knock-on effects for people on Carlow County Council's housing list. I am sure it will put many others barely over the threshold as well. As the Minister of State knows, once the Government provides something that allows people to qualify for a local authority housing list - the income limit is €27,500 for a single person and €30,000 for a family - no leniency is shown. I ask that this issue be addressed.

I wish to ask about the foster carer's payment. I received many phone calls about it. The increase will not be paid until late next year. I have spoken to many foster carers and I know many of them. They are doing a marvellous job. They are not in it for the money, but what about the cost of inflation? Can this matter be considered?

Rural transport in Carlow is a big issue for me. I hope that our capital plans are still on track.

We are lucky because we have a great local authority in Carlow County Council. This morning, I got word that we are losing our homeless housing officer. We will have no full-time homeless housing officer. The good news for Deputy McGuinness and the Minister of State is that he is going to Kilkenny because there is a full-time job there, but we have no full-time job in Carlow. We need to consider this issue. We cannot lose someone who is so important to our area.

A great deal of thought has gone into this budget and there is much that is good in it, but I wished to raise these concerns.

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