Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

The Minister of State, Deputy Mary White, is a member of a political party and understands the concept of being in partnership. This is the most callous section of the Bill as in it a cut is imposed on carers. A carer is someone who looks after, protects and minds people. If the Minister of State is talking about social justice, how can she justify this section which penalises carers? Some 42,000 family carers are to be affected. Why are carers being penalised? Will the Minister of State explain this in simple language, given that I do not see equity in the section? Is she telling me a person who cares for another is not saving the State money? The section, if passed, will compound the cut made last year. It compounds the withdrawal of the Christmas bonus double payment, moving the figure from a cut of 4% to 10%. What have the Green Party and Fianna Fáil against carers?

This section is completely unfair. As the chief executive of the Carers Association stated, it is completely counter-productive. Why has the Minister of State singled out the blind, carers and the disabled? Two weeks ago the Green Party opted to leave government, yet tonight the Minister of State will stand by these cuts. She is telling the people who need money the most, the most vulnerable, that they have no protection from the State. The first task of the Government is to look after all citizens. Is the Minister of State telling me that, at a time when the national debt stands at many billions of euro, the Green Party is putting monetary figures ahead of people? If we pass this section, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party will have abandoned the people who need Government assistance the most.

I repeat the question I asked on Second Stage: why is a specific group on welfare payments being singled out? The Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, speaks about turning the corner. As far as I can see, the only group he is turning in on comprises the people who need us the most.

Is the Government really stating it will treat people differently in this section of the Bill? There are 161,000 carers who save the State €2.5 billion a year, and yet the Government is taking €416 off them again.

The explanatory memorandum of the Bill uses great language to state it is "to give legislative effect". What does "legislative effect" mean? It means the Government is cutting what it is giving the carer, the blind and those with a disability, that it is taking money from them. That is what the Government is doing and the Minister camouflages it in lovely words, stating "reduction in the weekly rates of social assistance". Is that not the punch line, assistance to assist those who need help?

Forget about ideology, let us look at the brass tacks here. On my phone, there are texts from persons who are on social welfare, carers and persons with a disability who are trying to manage and they can not manage. They are not on FÁS junkets to space or to Florida-----