Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. What I am about to say is not critical of the Minister, whom I admire very much.

This is a vicious budget and is the third regressive budget in the lifetime of the Government. It lacks vision and does not offer any hope for young people. As politicians, it is fundamental that we have a vision for our country and we must offer hope for our people. I want to focus on older people and young unemployed people.

The cut to the telephone allowance will severely affect older people's ability to communicate and will further increase associated problems such as security and isolation. For many older people the landline telephone is their only line of security in case of emergency. As a direct result of this measure, older people are now more vulnerable to intruders and burglars. Every one of us is conscious of the burglaries, intimidation and savage violence being experienced by older people. One of the Minister's colleagues - it might have been Senator Whelan - spoke about the two ladies in Donegal, one of whom died of her injuries. That is one of the reasons I call this a savage and vicious budget.

The Government should have had the guts or leadership to deal with the bondholders and not be so intent at going at 1 million miles an hour to resolve the deficit. I accept we have to resolve the deficit but not at the pace proposed. It is ridiculous that the most vulnerable people are now paying for that. The Government does not have the leadership skill to prolong the repayment to the bankers.

The removal of the bereavement grant is nothing short of an insult to older people. The bereavement grant of €850 is paid to an average of 22,000 families per annum to help deal with funeral expenses. The abolition means that mourning families will be left without critical financial support during an extremely stressful time. I cannot understand the suggestion that they should shop around and get cheaper funeral arrangements. There is no justification that this grant is being pulled away from people at their weakest and most vulnerable when a family member dies.

On today's Order of Business I raised the issue of the slashing of the maternity benefit by €32 per week for 92% of the people who receive it. The Government is showing a serious lack of respect for women who, when put in its most simplistic terms, have a dual role in comparison with men. They bear children, and they work and rear children. The men do the work and mind the children. They have no idea what it is like to carry a child in the womb and deliver the child with all the responsibility. It shows a lack of respect for women's contribution socially and economically to Ireland. Women should be commended on working while pregnant, having children and returning to the workplace to advance their contribution to society and to the workplace.

Instead of supporting expectant mothers, the Bill reduces the collective benefit by €830 over the six months of maternity leave. I do not know how anybody on the Government side could support this inexcusable measure. It is vicious and lousy - no words can adequately describe the Government's demeaning attitude to women.

At the other end of the spectrum, the cut to the social welfare payments for young people aged under 26 will further fuel the emigration of our brightest and best.

Previously, I was an employer for 16 years. We fall far short of having a proper apprenticeship scheme in Ireland.