Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that the Government needs to close the gap between income and expenditure and I do not believe anybody in this House disagrees with that assertion. However, as Senator Marc MacSharry said, the Minister does have choices. The choices made in the Social Welfare Bill are wrong. It is wrong to target low income families for cuts. It is wrong to abolish the back to education allowance for persons who are unemployed and trying to get an education in order that they can find a job. It is downright cruel to target carers for cuts in the respite care grant.