Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

It is important that we use this session to unpick the Social Welfare Bill. That is our job and there is no need for charges to be levelled by either side of the House. Let me get to the nitty-gritty of the issue. If a person is receiving a pension or benefit, for example, carer's allowance or invalidity benefit of approximately €200 a week, and his or her spouse is earning €400, the income of the household will be €600 a week. In such circumstances, the person will no longer qualify for the half-rate qualified child increase. Has this figure been poverty-proofed? As the Minister stated, the persons affected may be entitled to other welfare supports.

This brings me back to a written question I submitted to the Minister and the commission when I asked whether the latter had deliberated on total household income. What is the threshold for total household income below which other measures will kick in? We are only looking at part of the picture. A household in which one spouse is in receipt carer's allowance and the other earns €300 a week may also be in receipt of family income support. Until we assess the total income of a household, it is difficult to decide what is fair and unfair. I ask the Minister to respond on that point.

On a more general point, as many Senators have noted, the provision will apply to new rather than existing recipients of the payments in question. Does this approach make fish of one and flesh of another? While I am aware that we are living in difficult times, will new applicants not make the case that a transition period should have been introduced to move existing recipients to the new rate? We must be equitable on this issue.

I ask the Minister for a response to the two issues I have raised.