David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, in the Minister of State’s speech, he refers to changes in the vehicle registration system introduced to help reduce road transport emissions. That will not work. He needs to put the tax on petrol, on the basis that the polluter pays. This is the only way that it will work. I had this out with Ministers before and they agreed but they said it would be politically unpopular. I believe the Government needs to take unpopular choices.

I want to raise the question of children and books in school. We have a history here. Until 2008, primary schools received funding to stock libraries with new books to help students to learn and develop and to support their well-being. That was an excellent idea. It was forward looking. This grant, however, was cut in 2008 and has never been restored. I ask that the Minister restore this grant. Allocating just €10 to every primary school child in the country to help schools buy books for the libraries would mean a budget 2022 allocation of only €5.68 million. That would be well worth it as an investment into our future. We are always told people come to Ireland because of our well-educated young people. While that is true, we need to continue to help support them.

I received a good briefing, as usual, from Fr. Seán Healy and Social Justice Ireland. As a preface to this, I notice that flats are being bought up en masse by hedge funds, which is dreadful. I see the Government has moved to stop them doing this in respect of houses but that must be extended to take account of flats as well, as an increasing number of people in this country live in flats.

I will raise what I might describe as a slightly sectarian matter, namely, the question of the Church of Ireland school, Ballinlough National School, County Roscommon. As I am a member of the Church of Ireland, I acknowledge special pleading here. However, it is important that we look after our minorities, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are looking for a retention number of eight pupils, thereby allowing minority-ethos schools to hold onto their second teacher. As this was the retention number for many years prior to the 2008 recession, I ask for this to be continued.

As for the Irish Cancer Society - again I have some special interest here because I am a survivor of cancer and have had cancer three times - I wish to pay tribute to St. Vincent's Private Hospital and the superb work of Mr. David Quinlan and his staff there. Without them, I am not sure I would be alive today. I ask the Government to provide €45 million in new funding for cancer services, on top of supporting improvements for the wider healthcare system. Unfortunately, all of us actually are going to die. That is one of two facts of life. One is taxes and the other is death. I am asking for supports for people to die well at home. That would cost a mere €500,000. That is cheap. Funding improvements in the delivery of person-centred pilots of end-of-life and bereavement care in residential settings would cost €1.5 million. Investment in bereavement community support would cost €250,000. Supports for people to plan for their end-of-life care would cost €150,000. Again, this money would be well spent.

I want to ask for an increase in basic social welfare payments, especially those that help support people with disabilities to live independently. People with disabilities face particular difficulties, especially in time of pandemic. I am 77 years old and I never remember anything remotely like this Covid-19 pandemic. It really is an emergency. I ask for a focus on unemployment issues for people with disabilities, including improving supports on the wage subsidy scheme. I also believe that tax reliefs should be fully extended to counselling and psychotherapy as a qualifying health expense. People's mental well-being is an important aspect.

I have received a submission from Trócaire, which I believe is a fine organisation. In 2021, one in 33 people worldwide will need humanitarian assistance. Despite the fact that around the world, more than enough food is produced to feed the entire global population, 9.9% of people worldwide are going hungry. Some 82.4 million people fled wars, violence, persecution and so on. It is estimated that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the time that it will take for the gender gap to close grew by 36 years in the span of just 12 months. The estimated trajectory is now 135 years. I point out this has the approval of the Irish people, in that 77% of those surveyed by Dóchas in January and February 2021 felt that it was important for the Irish Government to provide overseas aid and 81% - a huge majority of those surveyed - indicated that they feel that Covid-19 has reinforced the need for international co-operation in addressing global problems. Trócaire continues by urging the Government to outline a pathway to reach the historic UN target of spending more 0.7% of gross national income, GNI, on overseas aid. This is something that has been going on for years, as has the situation of women.

I received an amusing submission in this regard or the title was amusing at least, “We are not sitting in our corner knitting”. This came from women who wrote to me. They say that as women have greater unpaid care responsibilities and are more likely to be in low-paid, part-time, or carer work, it is more difficult for women to qualify for the full pension. On average, women have 29% less pension income than men. Women account for only 33% of those in receipt of a full State contributory pension, even though women outnumber men among the over-65s. Only 28% of women of pension age have an occupational or private pension, compared with 55% with men.

Finally I ask for some special consideration to given to artists, particularly those in the entertainment industry. I seek an increase in the allocation to the independent live entertainment industry from €50 million in budget 2021 to €75 million. I also seek the implementation of the pilot universal basic income for artists and the creation of a pilot scheme for artists with disabilities. Once again we come back to the question of disabilities.

I am grateful to the Minister of State for listening to everything I have to say. I realise that in these difficult times, not everything can be granted but I ask him to look with particular favour at the issues I have raised.