Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil is acutely aware of the threat of a no-deal Brexit that the Minister has alluded to on a couple of occasions. In 2016 Fianna Fáil met the challenge and has since then provided stability and continuity that has stood the country in good stead during the ongoing Brexit uncertainty and the political instability in Westminster. It was and remains the right approach and the fourth budget under the confidence and supply agreement, which gives effect to this Bill, is a testament to the responsibility and maturity of Fianna Fáil's approach.The Bill gives effect to the Government decision to defer the increase in the national minimum wage until Brexit uncertainty is resolved. Fianna Fáil was the party that introduced the national minimum wage in 2000. We have also protected and promoted workers' rights. We recognise the threat that a no-deal Brexit poses to Ireland's economic prosperity. In its latest quarterly bulletin, the Central Bank projects that employment will be 73,000 lower in 2021 and unemployment is forecast to rise to 5.8% in 2020 and 6.9% in 2021. This is over two percentage points higher than in a deal scenario. It is therefore imperative that if a no-deal scenario arises jobs are protected inasmuch as possible. However, once the threat of a no-deal Brexit is removed, the Minister should act immediately and implement the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission.

Ultimately, budget 2020 was not our budget and it is far from perfect. Fianna Fáil is disappointed that there is no primary welfare increase for pensioner couples or carers of people with disability. Fianna Fáil makes no apologies for use of influence, inasmuch as is feasible, to fight for modest gains for the most vulnerable in our society. To that end we welcome the increases in targeted payments, including the living-alone allowance, fuel allowance, qualified child increase and the increase in the income thresholds for the working family payment. The one-parent family payment is amended in this Bill too. I thank the Minister for coming to the House to discuss the Bill with us today.