Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

Last evening, Senator Buttimer and I raised on the Adjournment an issue that has been highlighted by the Carers Association. We called on the Minister for Health and Children to implement the association's cost-neutral proposals, but our argument was rejected out of hand. As Senator Donohoe has said, representatives of the association will protest outside Leinster House later today because they are terrified. It is outrageous that Mr. IBEC has the cheek to call for a 3% reduction in social welfare payments. I applaud Senators on both sides of the House who have asked the man in question to withdraw his remarks. I hope the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, will not take any of his suggestions on board. A delegation from the Combat Poverty Agency attended yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs, of which I am a member. We need to consider how we can help those who have recently been made unemployed. As many such people have no resources for dealing with being unemployed, we should not cut their payments by 3%. I ask the Deputy Leader to contact the man I have mentioned after the Order of Business to ask him to withdraw his outrageous remarks.