Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

This is a budget for the rich and powerful in our society, namely developers, vulture funds, big landlords and millionaires. It is certainly not a budget for PAYE workers, the homeless, housing applicants, families, children, the disabled or even social welfare recipients. This Government is completely out of touch with ordinary people. Those in government live in a bubble here in Leinster House. Is it that they do not know or do not care that there is a cost-of-living crisis? Families are struggling to make ends meet. Grocery prices are through the roof. We have some of the highest energy prices in Europe, yet there is not a single cost-of-living support in this budget. Families are falling behind with rent, mortgage repayments and energy bills. Parents are constantly choosing between heating the home, if they have one, and feeding their children

. Budgets are about choices. We should always remember that the measure of a nation is how it looks after its most vulnerable. In this budget, the Government chosen to support the wealthy as opposed to the most vulnerable. Budgets must be about fairness. We are one of the wealthier countries. We are the wealthiest we have been at any time in our history, but there are 630,000 people living below the poverty line, 190,000 of whom are children. Approximately 16,000 people are homeless, 5,014 of whom are children.

The minimum wage and social welfare rates are inadequate to provide a minimum standard for living. That is on the basis of research carried out by various organisations. Last year's budget widened the rich-poor gap again, putting €1,214 per year into the pockets of people on incomes of over €100,000 a year. That was not the case for those on lower incomes. This budget makes the gap even greater. Ireland is now a deeply unequal society in which there is poverty, deprivation and homelessness. Families are under huge pressure to keep a roof over their heads and to stay above the waterline.

The budget continues the failed housing policy of previous Administrations. The Government is relying primarily on the private sector to deliver, which is something it has never done and never will do. We need an emergency programme for the building of social and affordable houses by local authorities on public land. There is no additional funding in this budget for the tenant in situ scheme, which prevents homelessness. This scheme has been vandalised by the Government. Tipperary County Council has not purchased a single house this year due to a lack of funding. The budget refers to grants to adapt homes for older people and persons with disabilities. Tipperary County Council had to stop its work on the scheme in this regard last month due to running out of funding. There is no multi-annual funding proposed in the budget for this scheme, which means that this will happen again and again.

While social welfare increases are welcome, they are nowhere near providing a minimum standard of living. Social Justice Ireland says that core social welfare rates must increase by €25 per week if there is to be any impact in the context of reducing poverty. Similarly, the living wage needs to be at €17 per hour rather than the €14.15 cent proposed. During the last general election campaign, all parties committed to abolishing the means test for carers. That is another promise that has been reneged on in this budget. Families were looking forward to the implementation of a maximum payment of €200 per month for childcare, which was again promised by all parties. Another promise reneged on.

Clonmel, a major social and economic hub, has been forgotten again in this budget. In fact, it has been specifically and deliberately excluded. The special regeneration areas designated for the enhancement of older housing and commercial properties are being extended to include the towns of the Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Sligo. Kilkenny is already in the scheme. Clonmel has been excluded from this scheme by Fine Gael's Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe, in the budget. This is, of course, in keeping with the bad record of Fine Gael in relation to Clonmel. In government, Fine Gael closed Kickham Barracks, abolished Clonmel Corporation and South Tipperary County Council and closed St. Michael's acute psychiatric unit. The people of Clonmel will not accept either this decision or this snub. I am demanding that the Government Oireachtas Members in south Tipperary, namely Deputy Michael Murphy and Senator Garret Ahearn of Fine Gael and Senator Imelda Goldsboro of Fianna Fáil, make sure that this outrageous decision is revised and that Clonmel is included in the scheme.

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