Seanad debates

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

10:30 am

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad Senator John Kelly’s Adjournment matter has been accepted. On this side of the House we have argued vociferously for months against the cuts to home help hours. I note with interest some of the Government's plans to replace the Seanad should the people opt for abolition in a referendum. A missed opportunity for the Seanad, specifically on the Government side, was not stopping the passage of the Social Welfare Bill which was passed by only two votes. Senator John Kelly and two of his Labour Party colleagues, including Senator John Whelan, argued against most points of the Bill. However, they were assured by the Minister for Health, in particular, that the cuts to home help services would be reversed. The fact is that they have not been. What is the information of the Deputy Leader on the €8 million cut that was brought forward? My information is that no additional hours have been allocated. There are more people in home help services, with the same amount of funding, and the cut has not been reversed. I will be very interested to hear the Minister's response to Senator John Kelly. Effectively, the three Labour Party Senators were sold a pup on the basis of their support for a grossly unfair attack on the most vulnerable in the Social Welfare Bill. The Seanad could have stopped the Bill at the time, but did not do so because of Government Senators. If it had stopped the passage of the Bill, there would not even be a need to campaign for the retention of the House. There was a missed opportunity in that some Labour Party Senators supported the Bill on the basis of a lie. Has the cut affecting home help hours been reversed?

Another move by one of our great pillar banks, Allied Irish Banks, is the increase from next week in business charges of 165% for the lodging of money. We own the bank, yet the Government has consistently failed to bring it to heel. From 5 June, in the very same bank, the 0.4% increase in the variable interest rate for hard-pressed mortgage holders will come into effect. Not only is the bank crucifying variable rate mortgage holders, it is now also trying to crucify businesses by increasing by 165% the charge for the lodgement of money, not the charge for loans. I simply want to know what the Government will do about it, if anything.

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