Forum

DÁIL ÉIREANN

Sitting Time - 13:10  

Sitting Date - 07/12/2011

Financial Resolutions 2012 ^

^ Financial Resolution No. 13: General (Resumed) ^

Deputy Finian McGrath:

I thank the Chair for the opportunity to respond to the budget presented by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is important for all of us to deal with this budget and the current economic crisis in a fair and balanced way.  We all know we live in very difficult times and we knew that prior to the general election.  Let us not pretend that the Government did not know and let us be straight and honest with the people.  We need to deal with our national finances, but we also have a duty as Members of the Dáil to ensure that all of our citizens are treated with respect and dignity.  Sadly this budget does not do that.  I will deal with the details later in my contribution.

We all know difficult decisions need to be made.  Difficult decisions about the distribution of resources often raise awkward questions for the State, for many Deputies and for society as a whole.  How is the tension between the rights of the individuals and the overall good of society to be resolved?  There has been rapid change here and across the world.  Budget day is the time to address these matters head-on and set out the economic agenda for the next 12 months.  Any true democrat or anyone who believes in a real republic and a new Ireland, must put justice and equality at the top of the political and economic agenda.  Many people believe equality is for another agenda, but it should form part of the political and economic agenda.

It is not possible to run away from this nor can any government fudge, hide, duck or dodge it.  The unemployed, the disabled, the sick, the elderly and the young should be protected at all costs.  If we are serious about a just society or a real republic, these people must be protected.  Imposing extra charges on young householders with all of their housing and mortgage problems will not get us out of this economic mess.  Hammering our people with disability in the budget was an absolute disgrace.  It was shameful to target these people.  I understand the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, has now said that it is worth reconsidering this aspect of the Social Welfare Bill.  If that is factual, I welcome it.  It is important not to attack people with an intellectual disability by taking €88 from them.

I often wonder what planet some Ministers live on when they attack a person with a disability.  Do they understand the feelings of such people and their families?  The range of disability includes mild, moderate and severe.  I have personal experience in the moderate area as I have a daughter with an intellectual disability.  I also have many friends with severe disabilities and this cut is a gross attack on those families.  I commend the many Opposition Deputies who spoke on the issue yesterday and this morning and put this matter back on the top of the political agenda.  If the Government is serious about justice and equality it will reconsider the issue in the House.

This morning it was remarked that the IMF had something to do with this disability issue.  I do not know where those remarks came from.  The disability issue has nothing to do with the IMF and the Government needs to reverse this cut.  The Taoiseach also said the current situation will remain in place until the review.  The Government needs to reverse this cut which is wrong.  Government backbenchers know it and the Opposition parties have united on the issue in seeking reversal of the cut.  Things are very bad for families with disabilities and I can give more details later with regard to respite and residential care.

We also need to consider the 23,000 on the speech therapy waiting list.  These are the issues for many families.  I received many letters and phone calls from parents of people with disability.  The first one stated:

I wish to protest in the strongest terms possible about the sick and despicable cut to the disability allowance for the 18-24 year old group.  To equate people who have a significant intellectual, physical, sensory or autistic disability with the average 18-24 year old jobseeker is such an insult to these youngsters and their families and shows a complete lack of understanding of what it means to have a significant disability.  I am a parent of a 23 year old girl with Down syndrome.  How she would love to be just a job seeker.  Her life would be so different.  She would be able to come and go as she pleased.  She would have complete independence.  She would have choice and dignity.  I as her mother would not have had to spend the last 23 years fighting for every service that she got and many that she never got.  I and many like me will do whatever it takes till this insult to our youngsters is addressed.  We may be tired and worn out but this cut cannot be allowed to proceed.

People with an intellectual disability cannot get work.  They are not lazy or work shy.  My daughter has done 2 FETAC level 5 courses and can only get 8 hours a week.

The second letter also came from a mother and was sent to the Minister.

I am absolutely outraged by the announcement of your government's proposal to cut the rate of payment for young people on a long term disability benefit.

My son who has Downs Syndrome will be affected by this outrageous proposal.

My family and friends don't intend to take this lying down.

Shame on you all for doing this to the most vulnerable people in our society.

The person asked me to use my voice to speak up for the most vulnerable people in society such as her son.  These are real stories from real parents.  I urge the Government to get on and do it.  I accept that a number of Deputies have raised the issue for which I thank them.  I would be very concerned about a review and we need to get on with it now.

Earlier I understand the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte had a go at the Technical Group, which outraged many in the group.  The Technical Group comprises the United Left Alliance and Independent Deputies who were elected by the people.  It is not any kind of ragbag group and has the right to be respected as Members of the Oireachtas.  The Minister's remarks on this issue were totally out of order and will not be forgotten.

During his speech on Monday, nobody noticed that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, said the Government would "secure 2% efficiencies in disability, mental health and children's services, saving €50 million."  This means taking 2% from services for respite and residential care, with which I am familiar.  The Government might believe it is smart to take 2% from these services and save €50 million.  However, in approximately six months it will discover the implications of taking away the respite care for families or reducing the hours to achieve this 2% cut.  When there is a crisis and the parent, who could be in his or her 80s or 90s, of an adult with a disability dies, and a service such as St. Michael's House does not have a place, it has to franchise it out resulting in additional cost.  Where is the economic sense in this?  Regardless of the justice and equality issue, it will cost more money. I have direct experience of this because I meet the managers regularly.  While 2% might sound small it creates a major issue.

I know a woman in her mid-20s who is in respite care.  I met her on Monday at a disability event in Clontarf.  Her father died last year and her mother is now seriously ill in hospital.  If it were not for that respite service, that person and her family would be in serious trouble.  When the Government makes such cuts, it should think of the effect on people on the ground.  Even if it does not give a damn, it should consider the economic cost.  That cut of €50 million will end up costing €56 million in the end because when the crisis starts, those service providers get private companies to take over the care of adults with an intellectual disability.

We have the details of the debate.  I again thank all the Opposition parties and groups for highlighting this issue.  The families involved have been hurting in the past 12 hours and appreciate the voices raised on their behalf and this is my first opportunity to do this.

I urge the Minister to reverse this cut which accounts for a small amount of the overall budget.  I am available to him should he wish to know from where he can get the €7 million required to reverse it.

There has been much talk about the Government's priority being job creation.  The first email I received today was at 7.30 a.m. from the Northside Centre for the Unemployed in Coolock, a community in which there is a high rate of unemployment.  That email reads:

The Budget of 2012 for JOB CREATION endangers the employment of 22,474 Community Employment Workers who have actively gained work.  Is Job Creation and getting people back to work not what the Government is trying to do?

Northside Centre for the Unemployment based in Coolock, on the Northside of Dublin is appalled at the proposed budget cuts to the funding for Community Employment Projects by way of a 66.6% cut in funding for Training and Materials.

While it is recognised that we all have to take some of the pain and shoulder our fair share of cuts, a disproportionate 66.6% cut in funding is far too drastic to be classed as "a fair share" of "Some of the Pain".  We are demanding [I support them] that this proposed cut be reversed by the Government before this budget is passed.

There are currently 22,474 people participating on these Projects throughout the 26 Counties of Ireland, providing much needed Support to Local Communities, Older Persons Support, People with Disabilities, Community Childcare, Youth Projects, Meals on Wheels, Carers Supports, Unemployed Centres, Tidy Towns, Community Training, Environmental Community Works and Arts Projects, to name but a few.  All these groups and organisations are providing these supports free of charge or at affordable prices to users of these services and if they had to be provided by the state would have a huge financial drain on the Government budgets.  These are quality services being provided at bargain basement prices.

While providing these valuable supports in our Communities we are also training a potential workforce of over 22,000 who at the end of their time on Community employment will be job ready with the skills and education to enter the mainstream workforce.  This Budget cut will have the effect of Community Employment Projects not being able to afford even the basic Workplace Health & Safety Training for their Participants, which is mandatory under Health & Safety Legislation irrespective of the progression based training that Participants need to move into mainstream employment.

Cuts to child benefit and fuel and disability allowances have been announced.  As previously stated, if the Government were to introduce a wealth tax, it would raise €800 million.  If it were to end property tax reliefs, it would raise €450 million.  If it reduced landlord interest relief, it would raise €400 million, while a 35% minimum tax on all high earners would raise an additional €100 million.

On jobs, there is a proposal on the table of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, in relation to an excellent project which would create 5,000 jobs in the sugar beet industry.  I urge the Minister to look favourably on this proposal which has been costed.  It has received much support and would receive cross-party support in this House, given the major crisis in the country in sugar production.

It is important that we look at the budget in a balanced and objective way.  It is also important that Ministers listen to the criticisms and sensible proposals made by Members of the Opposition parties, in particular in respect of people with disabilities.  I have major concerns about the budget, in particular in regard to the core issues of disability, health, education and job creation.  There was an opportunity to provide for real and radical reform and the Government to assist the most vulnerable and children living in poverty, yet it did not go for this.  As this is not a budget I can support, I will be voting against it.