Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Once again, Senator Cox is wrong. I would not be part of the Sustaining Progress partnership programme if I did not believe the Government was sincere in its commitment on child benefit. However, a huge commitment will have to be made next year because we failed to make the full commitment this year. That must be understood by Senators opposite when they rise to speak on this matter.

The Government to which I belonged before 1997 decided not to increase child dependant allowance on a yearly basis. That was a wrong decision by the rainbow coalition as it has been the wrong decision by this and the previous Government since 1997. The only way in which to target additional resources at poorer children is through child dependant allowance. As colleagues will be aware, there has been no significant increase in the allowance since 1994. I disagreed with the rainbow Government's decision and I have continued to disagree since. It is necessary to have some means of reaching out to the 150,000 to 200,000 children living within the poverty trap. Despite the fact that the way to do this is through child dependant allowance, this has not been increased in any Social Welfare Bill brought before this House since 1994. I very much regret that.

Senator Wilson and others failed, of course, to mention the significant cutbacks which have been made this year. These real cutbacks affecting real people include the crèche supplement for child care which has been discontinued. A total of €2.3 million has been lost by the 1,600 families directly affected. The intention to phase out dietary supplement is another point Senator Wilson failed to bring to the attention of the House. It is a further example of the very negatives cuts being made by the Government. Half-rated child dependant allowance is to be discontinued in the context of unemployment and disability benefit claims where the claimant's spouse or partner has a gross weekly income in excess of €300.

Despite the argument presented by some of my colleagues opposite to the effect that this is a land of milk and honey, circumstances are not as rosy as they would like to pretend. The most sensible way for the Government to proceed on the unjustified cutbacks in the provisions for widows and widowers is for the Minister to fold on the issue in this House tomorrow. I predict she will.