Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. Beidh muintir na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta an-mhíshásta leis an mbuiséad seo. Bhíodar ag súil go mbeadh breis airgid á chaitheamh ar na réimsí sin agus níl, i ndáiríre. Cé go bhfáiltím roimh an airgead atá á chur ar leataobh le haghaidh Teach an Phiarsaigh, i ndáiríre píre níl tada breise ag Údarás na Gaeltachta, ná ag an Roinn, chun cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta a chur chun cinn. Níl aon phingin breise anseo le haghaidh Straitéis Fiche Bliain don Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn ach an oiread.

The budget is also quite punitive on rural areas. Nothing has been done to sort out the difficulties many farmers face because of farm assist. There is nothing to replace REPS, which has gone by the wayside. There is also an anomaly in the water charges whereby somebody on a group scheme will not be able to obtain the tax breaks. There is no reverse to the pupil teacher ratio changes in rural schools, and we do not see anything in the budget which will reverse emigration from rural areas. Many statistics show that people in the west and north west are on lower incomes.

The big anomaly in the budget is that it has put an awful lot more money back into the pockets of people with incomes of more than €75,000. The figures at the back of the budget book show anybody earning up to €25,000 a year will receive between €170 and €250 whereas somebody earning more than €75,000 will receive €777. This is not balanced, as has been put forward by some Senators. The money should have been balanced in the other direction and should have been put back into the pockets of people who need it most.

We have not seen any move towards a Scandinavian model of child care, which we were promised. We have not seen any move on rent supplement, which needed to be done. Although the housing initiatives are welcome, they will only reach the tip of the iceberg and would only just about solve the issue of the 4,000 people on the housing list in Galway city this coming year. To say it will make any huge difference in the national picture is incorrect. We are disappointed.

I am also disappointed with the cut of 30% in the equality and integration budget. Will the Minister of State explain this? Why will the equality and integration budget be cut? It has been slashed year on year by the Government but it is an area in which we need to put more funding for projects such as those with regard to women and race. Tá go leor eile le rá agam ach tá an t-am caite.