David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to record my disappointment with the cuts proposed in the Bill and take the opportunity to say to the Minister again that she has an opportunity to reverse the cuts, especially the cut to the respite care grant. Many Senators made impassioned pleas to the Minister yesterday to do the right thing by carers and the people in receipt of this grant but also in respect of the child benefit cut, which will have profound implications for many working families and those families whose members are not working.

As the Minister said previously, mná na hÉireann depend on child benefit as a core part of their incomes. Any cut in child benefit - the Government has cut the allowance twice - has a profoundly negative effect on women, children and families. The reduction of eligibility for jobseeker's benefit from 12 months to nine months is happening at a time when we are paying more through PRSI, the universal social charge and taxation, and entitlements are less.

I remind the Minister of the ESRI's commentary on the budget but, more specifically, on the social welfare provisions and their impact on low-income families. There is no doubt that the PRSI changes and the changes to the allowance will have a disproportionate impact on low-income families, regardless of whether one earns ¤200,000 per year or ¤30,000 per year or less.

I disagree with the contents of the budget. However, I welcome the Minister's statement that she will come back early in the new year to discuss the overall social welfare spend, how we can improve spending in this area and how we can ensure that people who need core services - whether they are carers, people with disabilities or others who depend on funding from the Department - get them and that we get value for money.