Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)

There is a truism that abounds around this place at this time every year as we approach the budget. It goes something like "Show me your budget and I will show you my priorities". This is especially true of a budget that takes place at the start of a Government's term. We do not know a huge amount about the complexion of the budget that will be introduced on 7 October. However, we know from a very successful media campaign run by a sectoral interest and Fine Gael especially, which bent over backwards to accommodate it, that an enormous of money on an annual basis, totalling at least €630 million in one year, will be transferred from PAYE taxpayers to a small and narrow sectoral interest without justification. The Minister, Deputy Burke, who will be responsible for this, has refused to publish the data we know he possesses. He has been urged to publish it by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. He has refused to publish the data that would provide any evidence for such a significant cash transfer and tax relief for one sector over another. He will not publish it because he knows the evidence is thin.

All of this was because of a solemn promise made during the election campaign by the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, to mollify one economic sector and tell people that the Government would do something for them if they re-elected those who were then in government. He also made a solemn promise, as did Fianna Fáil, to introduce a living wage for workers in 2026 and to extend sick leave entitlements in order to bring us somewhere close to modern European norms. However, the Government has collectively stuck two fingers up to working people in this country.

One fifth of all Irish workers are low paid. Coincidentally, the same proportion of children in this country are in consistent poverty. Workers are being denied a living wage and, because of the way in which this budget will be managed in two weeks' time, the Government will again refuse to introduce a second tier of child benefit to move poor Irish children out of poverty and give them the chance the Government says Irish children should have in this Republic.

Frankly, the Government does not believe this. The information on how we do this has been available for years. My colleague, Deputy Sherlock, spoke articulately and eloquently earlier about the Commission on Taxation and Welfare on which she sat more than ten years ago, which clearly identified the principal thing we could do to declare war on and eradicate child poverty and give every child every chance. That was to introduce a second and targeted tier of child benefit. We have had many years of boom times to introduce such a payment but have simply refused to do so. We are now told that it is complex, which we know and understand.

There are complexities involved in introducing such a payment. We understand that. However, we have had ten years of Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil in one fashion or another, and they have simply failed to do it because the political will is simply not there. The Government prefers to transfer taxpayers' money to certain economic sectors rather than focus on alleviating child property. They are the choices the Government will make. When it does that, workers will not benefit.

History has shown that this particular battle has not been to the benefit of workers and their pay, terms and conditions and has not been to the benefit of consumers. When this happens, the Government will declare victory and say there is nothing more it can do for the hospitality sector. I am not callous enough to say that I am not concerned about businesses in the hospitality sector closing. Of course I am, but like child poverty running a business is complex and so are the demands and costs.

What is the Government going to do about energy costs? What is it going to do about reforming the way in which local government is funded and the overreliance on commercial rates? What is it going to do about training and professionalising the hospitality sector? It will do nothing because in the boom times, we simply take taxpayers' money and throw it at the people who shout the loudest without any justification whatsoever for doing so.

The Minister said it is complex to introduce a second tier of child benefit, and it is. We moved heaven and earth in early 2020 to make sure, justifiably and correctly, that businesses were supported to remain open in the heat of a global pandemic. We moved heaven and earth to introduce a wage subsidy scheme, complex and all as it was. A second tier of child benefit is achievable and can be done. All we are lacking is the political will of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Independents who support the Government.

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