Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)

I should not be surprised by this Government's approach to the budget. Time and time again, we have seen Fianna Fáil's and Fine Gael's approach to these things. It is just that no matter what, it is hard to understand how, at a time when the number of children living in consistent poverty doubled last year, the Government chose not to introduce a second tier of child benefit. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why after all its election promises, the Government did not introduce a weekly cost of disability payment. It is just astounding that on budget day, the Minister for Finance failed to even mention the 16,000 people living in homelessness.

Despite the fact that similar happens every year, I am still surprised, shocked and devastated that, year after year, the opportunity to address these issues is there and within reach but is wasted. It is particularly devastating when the Government is awash with cash. Government spending has soared from €70 billion in 2020 to nearly €120 billion now. What do we have to show for it? A worsening housing crisis, threadbare disability services and rising child poverty.

This budget can be summed up quite simply: broken promises, missed opportunities and completely crazy priorities. Anyone examining it would think the cost-of-living crisis has been most acutely felt by developers and fast food chains. Millions of euro are going to the likes of McDonald's instead of lifting thousands of children out of poverty. There is €568 million in tax cuts for developers, when less than half of that would be enough to introduce a weekly cost of disability payment.

When we call for these measures, we get the usual response from the Government that it cannot do everything, that it would be financially irresponsible, etc. What is truly irresponsible is how the Government is playing fast and loose with the country's finances and the devastating consequences of that. The Government has narrowed the tax base by €1.3 billion, making our economy even more reliant on corporation taxes. It is further privatising our public services by stealth. Everywhere we look, we see the waste of taxpayers' money on a Government ideology that thinks the market is king. Somehow, it still cannot seem to see the damage this approach is causing, including further discrimination against disabled people and record levels of homelessness. If constant increases in child poverty are not a wake-up call for the Government, I do not think there will be one.

As I said, I am surprised but I should not be. I hope people will judge this Government on its actions, not its empty words in the lead-up to the election. My question is about one of those promises. Why did the Government not introduce a weekly cost of disability payment?

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