Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and look forward to working with him over the period ahead.

Listening to the live broadcast of the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announcing a budget of almost €18 billion, of which more than €17 billion would be on expenditure, like many others, I looked forward to a new social contract with the Irish people, one of which we could all be proud. Granted, there are many fine aspirations in the budget but as the dust settles on yesterday, we see that there are also lost opportunities.

The budget was an opportunity to create an Irish national health service that operated on medical need rather than an ability to pay. The alternative budget proposed by the Labour Party recommended additional funding of €35 million to tackle the backlog in cancer services, cancer screening and cardiac care. We welcome the resources the Government has said it will put into these services this year but there is no plan or, more important, no details on how to get cancer care back on track. Those with loved ones who are suffering who listened in yesterday wanted to know when their family members would be seen or, if needed, begin their treatment.

As I stated on previous occasions, John Wall is leading a campaign to implement medical card reform for terminally ill patients. It is incredible that there was no mention of this comfort blanket in the budget. The Labour Party has estimated that the change would cost €20 million. I appeal to the Minister to find that money in the additional moneys announced yesterday as it would give comfort to all of those who need it at this very difficult times in their lives.

We all know that early intervention is critical for the prevention of medical issues in our children further down the road. Free GP care is a critical component of early intervention and the prevention of Covid-19 and non-Covid illness. The first steps were taken; we need to see the next step.

In the months since this pandemic started, we have correctly praised and applauded the carers of this country. Yesterday, the Government had the opportunity to reward those who spend, on average, 19 hours each day taking care of loved ones. Increasing the carer's allowance and changing the means test for carers, which has not changed since 2008, would have meant 30,000 carers would receive a payment for their work, which saves this State billions of euro. Unfortunately, the opportunity was not taken. Granted, as has been said, the carer's support grant was increased by €2.88 per week. While an increase is always welcome, the budget was an opportunity to change the system and ensure that those who save us so much were finally recognised for what they do for us all.It was surely time in the budget, given that the Government had €17 billion to spend, to raise all social welfare recipients' core payments, knowing that the vast majority of this money would go back into the local economy but also acknowledging the terrific sacrifice that our pensioners in particular, who were asked to cocoon, have lived through in recent months.

As I travelled through south County Kildare prior to the previous election, one of the main quality of life issues raised with me related to childcare. In towns such as Newbridge and Kildare town, the issue arose on many doors. Once again, there was a lost opportunity yesterday to implement a national childcare scheme. I am sure the Government, like me, receives correspondence from young commuting families in south County Kildare, as well as from families throughout the State, outlining the problems that childcare causes them daily, such as having to rise at times at 6 a.m. and take young children from their sleep to drive to centres miles from where they live. As my colleague Senator Bacik noted yesterday, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, needs to clarify whether he has an intention to move towards a system of universal public childcare. Covid crisis or not, childcare fees in Ireland are among the highest in the EU and the OECD, while wages for early years professionals and levels of State investment in childcare remain among the lowest in Europe. Childcare is a quality of life issue for many, and if we are spending €17 billion, we need to urgently address it.

I welcome, as my party has done, the supports for business and in particular for the tourism sector. There is no doubt this sector needed help. An email I received from my local hotel last Sunday morning stating that it had to lay off 50 people is a case in point of why we have to protect 260,000 jobs. However beautiful our country is, it is the workers in this industry who are our assets. They are on the front line of the céad míle fáilte and it is they who will deal with visitors when that time once again arises in what, I hope, will be the near future. We needed to give stability to those workers, not add to the worry of getting to Christmas and then what might happen at the end of January. As my colleague, Deputy Nash, stated yesterday, if €350 was the floor of decency in March, it should be the floor of decency now, and the pandemic unemployment payment should have been restored.

I have spoken previously in the Chamber about youth unemployment, a subject mentioned by a number of Senators during this debate. I listened to the Taoiseach acknowledge last night on "RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock" that the figure for youth unemployment was more than 34%. It may, in fact, be closer to 40%, a totally unacceptable figure. I listened to the Taoiseach state that thousands of jobs will be created in healthcare, education, defence and even the Naval Service. I look forward to this becoming a reality. If we are to be serious about how we spend this money, investing in our youth and their futures must take up the maximum effort.

Yesterday saw the largest budget in our history. It contains many fine aspirations that I welcome, but it failed to address many quality of life issues. Of course we will support many of the measures announced but the proof of making a difference will be their delivery. It will be how these measures affect working families, those who no longer work or cannot work, and our wonderful communities. I look forward to seeing many of these measures rolled out quickly but also to holding the Government to account on the aspirations contained within.