Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is appropriate we have these discussions about the budget and Social Welfare Bill. We of course recognise that some improvements are being made and additional payments being made to people. That is all welcome and needs to happen as quickly as possible. I also welcome the pay-related payments, which are hugely progressive. We needed to see that happen a long time ago. As has been said, it puts us out of step with most other countries in Europe where that is the reality. There is quite a small number of people on jobseeker's allowance in Ireland. It is approximately 5% of the working population, and that fluctuates. Most people are on it for a short enough period of time. When they fall into that situation they find that the social welfare net they have contributed to all of their working lives is often not adequate to maintain a sensible standard of living during the cost-of-living crisis we are in. That should not be the case. We should have a system that keeps people in a position where they can maintain their standard of living. That has not happened, so I welcome that move. I also welcome that in section 45 the Minister mentioned the long-term carers and their getting access to the pension. We have also been calling for that for some time. I know it is something a lot of carers will be delighted to see happen. We need to see it move forward as quickly as possible.

There is one issue we continually find when we talk about the small number of people who are on jobseeker's allowance. A lot of those people are on it inappropriately, because they cannot get any other payment. I have a number of examples of that. I know of a young man who has suffered from depression for many years, and who dropped out of college because of it. He looked for illness benefit and went through all of the process. Every time he is refused it keeps coming back saying it has been assessed that he may not be sick for a full year. If he is not going to be sick for a full year he will not get it. It is difficult for a person with depression to prove that the depression is not going to lift and they are not going to get better.

How do they prove that? There are an awful lot of people in those particular circumstances and such people do not have the wherewithal to be able to keep filling in forms and fighting the system. They find it hard enough to get up out of bed on any given day never mind trying to deal with a system that, as they see it, is stacked against them. There is huge disappointment and a huge problem there. That is particularly the case for people who suffer from mental illness, depression and anxiety. There needs to be a greater level of flexibility to recognise that they do need a payment, assistance and help. The rule relating to an illness lasting a year must be re-examined and looked at again.

I am aware of a similar case where a young woman who worked abroad for many years came back to Ireland. The reason she came back is she had an addiction problem. Her family has tried to support her and look after her. Again, she is in a similar situation in that she has got treatment and she has tried to help herself. She has tried to get on but when she goes to the system and tries to get assistance she is told that her illness may not last for a year and, therefore, she is turned down.

There must be a change, specifically for those categories of people. It is very difficult for those people to prove that the illness or incapacity they have is going to last for a year or whatever length of time. The fact of the matter is these are people in need - in some cases, they may not have worked or contributed - and society has an obligation to them and to contribute to their well-being to ensure that they have a chance in life. Part of that is for there to be a system that will help them out and move them forward. Many people in those circumstances find that the system lets them down, which makes their condition worse because it gives them a further sense of hopelessness and helplessness and that there is nothing out there to deal with them or to look after them.

There needs to be a re-examination of that particular area and how people who apply for illness benefit in those circumstances are assessed. I appeal to the Minister to look at that and to see if we can come up with a solution for those people because they are a very small number of people in terms of the overall cohort.

In regard to the pension situation, it has been said that when we look down the road in 20 years that we could have up to 1 million pensioners in Ireland, and to have the ratio right, we need to have 4 million workers to be able to provide for them. When we talk to business owners, they say they are up for that. They see that growth happening. If we are going to do that, we must put essential provisions in place to be able to provide for those pensioners. To do that, the Government needs to recognise that we must develop a system that will work for everyone and at the moment the system does not work adequately.

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