Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The measures combined in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill fall far short of what is required to ensure that low-income and vulnerable households are protected from poverty and social exclusion. The small-scale measures contained in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill are not sufficient to offset the regressive budgets introduced by the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government since it took office in 2011. The Government has been responsible for 40 deep and wide-ranging cuts, the effects of which still will be felt by households throughout the country in 2016.