Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I move recommendation No. 7:

In page 13, before section 3, to insert the following new section:

"3.–Section 446A of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (2) by the substitution of '€1,540' for '€770'.".

We will not stray as far from the CPI as on the last occasion, although it was interesting, rather than pushing futile amendments as Senator McDowell says, to listen to the Minister elucidating on where we were and where we were going.

This goes back to the controversial introduction of the concept of individualisation by the Minister. We remember the furore at the time. The perception was that it discriminated against the stay-at-home spouse looking after the family home or dependent or disabled relatives etc. The Government with skill and aplomb sent certain Members in a well orchestrated move out to the plinth – Deputy Marian McGuinness was one – to oppose the measure stridently. From the point of view of the revolt, the Minister responded quite positively by introducing a measure which gave an allowance of €770 to the stay-at-home spouse. It was welcomed and seen as an effort to address the imbalance in the allowances and concessions available to someone who goes out to work as against somebody who makes a sacrifice and stays at home.