Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We cannot sustain a nation when the basic Irish weekly social welfare payment of ¤188 is more than twice the amount paid in the UK and Germany. Jobs fund social welfare and social protection and we must encourage job creation. We cannot have a disincentive. Rather than being concerned about the significant amount being spent on social welfare, we must be concerned about how we can get the money to do it. Any country spending more than ¤20 billion per year on social welfare when the tax take is ¤36 billion is clearly dysfunctional. We must find a way around it. Although we would like to be generous and look after all the children of the nation, taking into account Senator Barrett's comments, it does not make sense to pay children's allowance to millionaires. We must make a change in order to encourage jobs and people at work. It is sensible and worthwhile to do this without being overly generous with benefits.