Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I prefer "Help the Hallowe'en party" rather than "Trick or treat". It is an old Dublin phrase.

Unfortunately, this budget has failed to make the correct and necessary adjustments needed to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable in our society, including carers, children and people with disabilities. I have spoken to many people regarding the budget as, I am sure, has the Minister. There is a general sense that there was a clear attempt by the Government to buy the election. One-off measures are fine for Hallowe'en or Christmas, but they do not deal with the fundamental issue of consistent poverty or help the tens of thousands of children in consistent poverty.

Carers and people with disabilities deserve much more from this social protection budget. We know carers are at a much higher risk of poverty. Carers all across the State have been told to wait until July 2025 before they see any changes to the means test. Can the Minister explain to carers why the Government has told them that they must wait?

Sinn Féin has committed to a significant increase in the carer's allowance means threshold, going further than the Government. We would increase the income threshold to €730 for a single person and €1,460 for a couple, compared to the Government's proposal of only increasing the disregards to €625 and €1,250. We have allocated €100 million to this measure, which would see 3,754 additional carers becoming eligible for carer's allowance. In addition, 6,590 people who are currently on a reduced payment due to means testing would become eligible for the full payment. We all have stories of people who are outside of the thresholds or perhaps receive €10 per week for caring for their families. We know the billions of euros that is saved by carers who do incredible work. It will be clear to all carers that the only way to eliminate the means test is a change of government, as Sinn Féin has committed to this, whether the election is at Hallowe'en or next year.

We would also introduce a pay-related carers benefit for those who have to give up work to care for someone. This would ensure that carers do not see their income fall off a cliff edge. Their income would be protected when they have to give up work, which can be a very difficult time. People on the doors are constantly telling us stories about their income falling off a cliff edge at very short notice.

We also know that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of poverty, yet there is no recognition of the increased cost of disability. Sinn Féin proposed a €20 weekly increase in disability payments instead of the €12 decided on by Government. I was struck when meeting someone recently by the significant costs of those with a disability who live alone. For example, most of us can cut the grass in our gardens ourselves. It is one of the simple, small jobs we do not even think about, but it is a significant cost for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, people with disabilities deserve far more than this Government.

The Government has not increased child benefit. The payment is still below the rate in 2008. In every budget we are told the economy is flying and billions of euro are available, yet the child benefit rate has stayed the same. We would have increased the rate by €10, the first increase since 2016. The payment was cut by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led Governments. Sinn Féin would have delivered a double payment of child benefit in October and December, as well as a €10 monthly increase. Families are under savage pressure and the core rate needs to be increased. One-off payments are all well and good, but people need the Government to make a lasting difference for them. That is what Sinn Féin has proposed.

Sinn Féin would establish an employer PRSI rebate scheme to provide support for businesses impacted by the rise in the minimum wage. The relief relates to full-time employees earning €650 per week or less. The scheme would support businesses in adjusting to the minimum wage increases and protect employment while ensuring low pay is not incentivised.

Sinn Féin would introduce a parental bereavement leave and benefit scheme. In each of our last three alternative budgets, we proposed a scheme that would make statutory provision for two weeks paid leave for parents following the loss of a child, to be paid at the rate of existing maternity, paternity and parents' leave. The benefit would be payable to parents who lose a child under the age of 18, including following a stillbirth or during pregnancy, irrespective of the length of the current employment. Unfortunately, to date no action has been taken by the Minister. I will resubmit this proposal as an amendment to the Bill.

Sinn Féin would extend fuel allowance eligibility to working family payment recipients, given the crippling energy costs families are experiencing. Sinn Féin would target increased accessibility for lower and working families with children by ensuring that families on low incomes would be eligible for the fuel allowance by extending the payment to working family payment recipients. It is incomprehensible that low income working families are still excluded from the payment.

One of the biggest issues of the past general election was the right to retire at 65 years of age. The 65 campaign garnered thousands of emails from workers who demanded that right. I discovered that those around the Cabinet table who make decisions have the right to retire at the age of 50 if elected to this House or if they worked in the public service prior to 2001. It is quite hypocritical to demand others retire at the age of 66. In fact, the proposal was to make the retirement age even higher prior to the campaign; I believe the proposed age was 70. We made a commitment to ensure that people aged 65 would have the right to retire on a State contributory pension and will make that commitment again when the election is called. I urge all of those who campaigned so brilliantly in 2020 - I remember being up until the early hours of the morning trying to answer all of the emails - to get their emails ready again.

The social protection budget is focused on the short term and will fail to deliver in the long term for those families who are in consistent poverty. Those children who are still experiencing poverty will continue to do so because of this budget. The budget should have been about delivering meaningful and real long-term change. Sinn Féin has consistently put forward costed and sector-backed proposals to Government that would tackle the cost-of-living crisis and ease the pressures carers, people with disabilities and ordinary workers and families face. The Government's budget has failed to deliver for carers, people with disabilities and hard-pressed ordinary workers and families.

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