Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I realise time is short but, in the context of the new session, I call for a series of early debates as the budget preparations are under way. Reports of horse trading have made it into the public domain. Fine Gael is happy to cut child benefit and the Labour Minister, Deputy Burton, is reluctant to do so. On this occasion we might consider adding to the burden of those best placed to take it, those on incomes over €100,000. There were Labour, Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil proposals to do that in last year's budget preparations rather than hitting the most vulnerable, such as those with a disability or in receipt of mobility grants or child care payments, which are needed for regular life payments. With households feeling the pinch, people are spending up to €67 less per week on groceries for their homes. We must make sure that, in preparing the budget, those best placed to meet the burden are those we ask to do so. Child benefit is not the correct place to start.

I welcome that Permanent TSB is making offers to people on split mortgages. It is many years since we started talking about this and calling for it to happen in a meaningful way. Some evidence indicates it is happening with Permanent TSB. However, the silence from the other four banks is deafening. Ulster Bank has loosely said it has met its target under the conditions set by the Central Bank. Making an offer to someone includes offering the assisted foreclosure of the house. As with other times, I do not trust the banks. They are packed with individuals who are family, friends and neighbours of us all but, collectively, the banks are only interested in the bottom line, not families of Ireland, which is the responsibility of these Houses.

The Seanad is in its second last day and has a packed schedule but early in the new session perhaps we can have a debate to review progress and see whether banks have engaged in a meaningful way as it appears Permanent TSB has set out to do. The silence of the four banks in the past number of days is deafening and is evidence of the superficiality with which they have engaged heretofore. I fear they will continue to engage with the people of Ireland in that way.