David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join with the leaders of the other groups in wishing everybody a happy summer. I hope they get some rest, too. People will be campaigning as we are six or seven months from an election so it will be a busy time for those who are candidates, as well as for those who are not.

I wish to raise the issue of support for people with disabilities. The Disability Federation of Ireland has launched its pre-budget submission, which makes some very reasonable proposals and calls on the Government to invest more in services supporting people with disabilities. The document is entitled No Recovery Without Us. It puts into sharp focus the need to reverse many of the very harsh cuts which were put in place. The Government will say these were justified because of the economic crisis and the challenges the Government faced in the past four years when adjustments had to be made to our public finances. We on this side of the House disagreed and came up with alternative proposals but the Government said there was no further choice. We are now told some extra income is available to the State and the Minister for Finance and we need to use whatever flexibility and added income there is to give back to those who are most deserving and most in need. Calls to reverse the cut to the respite care grant, to increase the disability tax credit and to grant medical cards based on medical need are reasonable. This is an important issue but when we come back after the summer recess we should have a series of alternative pre-budget debates with the key Ministers, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, so that we can discuss all the submissions we are getting on a daily basis. There was a very expensive photoshoot in Dublin Castle when people were invited to hear debates on the budget but we cannot seem to have them in this Chamber.