David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 13, before section 27, to insert the following new section:
?27.?Section 12 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1997 is amended by the insertion of a new subsection (3):?(3) Section 4 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1983, is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsections for subsection (1):

?(1) Section 2 of this Act shall not apply to the following categories of persons?

(a) residents of a building vested in a Minister of the Government, a housing authority (within the meaning of the Act of 1992) or the Health Service Executive,
(b) persons who, in the year in which the liability falls, if on that date he or she is in receipt of any of the following payments from the Department of Social Protection:

(i) jobseekers? allowance,
(ii) jobseekers? benefit,
(iii) supplementary welfare allowance,
(iv) family income supplement,
(v) farm assist,
(vi) old age non-contributory pension, provided the recipient is not also in receipt of an occupational pension,
(vii) disability allowance,
(viii) disablement benefit, or
(ix) blind pension,

(c) persons who, in the years 2013, 2014, and 2015, are able to satisfy the relevant local authority that he or she has not been able to pay more than 75 per cent of his or her mortgage repayments in the preceding year on their residential property.?.?.?.

Again, this goes back to the issue that has just been debated. While I acknowledge the Minister of State intends to introduce separate legislation to deal with this matter, Sinn Féin has set out what it would wish the Minister of State to do in this regard. While Sinn Féin disagrees with the charge in principle and across the board, if the Government intends to pursue it and push ahead with domestic water charges, Sinn Féin wishes to ensure that as well as possible, low-income families, people in receipt of social welfare and lower-middle income families are safeguarded and protected. The latter group has been squeezed as a consequence of the last six budgets. All Members will accept that regardless of what positions they might have taken on them.

This amendment takes into consideration those who are on jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit, supplementary welfare allowance, family income support, farm assist, the old age non-contributory pension, disability allowance, disablement benefit or the blind pension. They should be exempt from the charge. I appreciate the Minister of State indicating that he will come back to us with more detail and perhaps we might discuss that in the House. As public representatives we hold clinics and know the pressure people are under and while we in the Opposition are aware of the difficult choices Governments must make, we must deal with those families who come to our clinics in real distress because of their financial circumstances and any charges that make it more difficult for them. It is time for us to say that these people simply cannot afford these charges and the Government must look at that. That is what we have tried to do in this amendment. We are being prescriptive in what we want to see. Clearly the Government has its own position. I am grateful, however, for the Minister of State's indication that he will speak to us in more detail about the Government's intentions.