James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the response. I recognise the presence of the Minister and the Minister of State here this morning. It is appreciated. A strong delegation came down from the Cabinet. A strong number of Ministers of State came down very quickly. To the public it may seem frustrating to see politicians showing up for photographs, but that was not the case. Tuesday's Cabinet meeting agreed a strong increase in supports, with the threshold for a single-income household increasing to €50,000 from €30,000 and the threshold for a joint-income household increasing to €90,000 from €50,000. In addition, there were €10,000 to €15,000 increases per child for dependent children. The response has been very strong. I want to make sure this issue remains apolitical. We must all work together to try to get done what needs to be done to help people, businesses and homeowners in east Cork to get back on their feet. I have a concern in regard to funding. We will need money and we need somebody to provide that money.

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