Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann-Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare Bill 2024. I agree with everything the previous speaker has said in relation to the energy credits and so on. It is shocking when one sees that the Government has, again, given an energy credit to us in this House and to many millionaires in this country who can well afford it. If I owned five houses and was making €1 million a year I would be getting five energy credits and the people who are dependent on social welfare are getting one. It is a shame and a disgrace.

As I have previously stated, this year's budget is really just a lacklustre repeat of last year's budget, with very little for the public to truly be hopeful about. It does not offer the long-term systemic change that is desperately needed in this country and it certainly does not offer improved access to services. This Bill is a reflection of that. The Bill outlines a few minor increases but nothing that will make a real impactful change in people's lives and nothing that will help ease the burden of the cost-of-living living crisis on those who are struggling the most. There is nothing that would help to end Ireland's homelessness crisis. In its budget 2025 analysis and critique, Social Justice Ireland stated that despite vast resources the Government's five budgets have been cumulatively regressive. The analysis shows that a couple with one earner on €100,000 is better off by €73.35 per week due to the last five budgets, while a couple with one earner on €30,000 is only better off by €3.34 per week after five budgets. This is a shocking indictment of the Governments and their budgetary policy.

It is clear that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael budgets only look after the wealthy and have no interest in bridging the widening inequality gap. Research shows that the rich-poor gap had jumped €23.27 per week as a result of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael budgetary policy and the decisions to allocate substantial resources to the wealthy rather than the poorest in our society. It is not only incredibly unfair but also extremely cruel. Inequality affects all aspects of Irish life from unemployment and healthcare to accommodation and education. This Social Welfare Bill 2024 will do nothing to address the income inequality that is causing poverty and serious social divide in our country. Irish society is becoming incredibly fragmented and divided as of late. This Government is doing nothing to address that. Instead, it continues to exacerbate the issue by introducing budgets that benefit the well-off and leave behind even further those who are struggling.

These social welfare increases are wholly inadequate and it is disappointing that a cost-of-disability payment has not been introduced, that the means test for carers has not been scrapped, and that child benefit has not seen an increase since 2016 despite inflation and significant increases in child poverty and deprivation. This would make real and meaningful change for the benefit of people who are dependent on social welfare payments and dependent on the support of our Government and our society to actually live and have a decent standard of living rather than giving payments to benefit the wealthy right across the board in this country.

Last year the Government claimed it was on a mission to tackle child poverty but this budget makes it clear that was nothing but another empty promise made by the Government during its term. The Taoiseach has a child poverty section in his Department. They must be doing nothing or they must be away on holidays permanently because certainly nothing is happening in terms of child poverty.

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