Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like many others, I have taken soundings over the weekend. Everybody, including carers, feels that it has been very harsh. I have written to the Minister for Social Protection to see if that can be undone. Farmers, particularly low-income farmers and dry stock farmers in Galway, have not been mentioned much. I have received text after text saying that budget changes will cost the sender ¤4,000 when he or she adds in the suckler cow cut, which is ¤40 per head. If one has 35 cows, that comes to ¤1,400. When one adds that to the cut in child benefit and the property tax, they add to up huge cuts. I am speaking to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coveney, who has always been very fair and who does his best to tweak everything. There have been many serious cuts in income for farmers at which we need to look in addition to the cuts that have affected everyone else.

The nation is experiencing a considerable amount of psychological stress because the recession is continuing and the cuts are getting deeper. I know we have done this in terms of job creation and we need to do it again in terms of promoting good projects but I would like a debate on the psychological stress the recession is causing our people so we can identify solutions in Departments that need to be promoted.

Will the Leader consider that for early in the new year? What else can we do as legislators? We must do our best to alleviate the stress and help our Ministers to devise solutions.