Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

In the budget, we took significant measures to particularly target resources at low-income families, such as those on the working family payment, for example, in terms of their inclusion in the free fuel allowance. There is also the children's support payment for those over 12, which is up to €16, the highest ever, and for those under 12, it is €8. This is the point. We have been targeting our resources at the lowest income groups. That is why we took the decisions that we did in the budget. We did not go for universal payments, which some Deputies wanted us to do. We targeted resources at those most in need, and likewise in terms of free schoolbooks and hot school meals. That is all to reduce costs for families, and it particularly helps families on low incomes. There are other measures that we have taken, such as extending the VAT reduction on fuel costs, which will go out to 2030, and many others.

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