Bertie Ahern
Question:2 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he intends to accept the invitation issued to him to attend the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development to be held from 6 to 12 March 1995. [3652/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Copenhagen Summit Attendance.
I have accepted the invitation to attend the United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen. I look forward to participating.
I am glad the Taoiseach will participate in this important conference, which will give a clear signal that we are interested in a social consensus or dimension, on which the Taoiseach changed his views recently. How will the Taoiseach handle the anti-poverty programme he will present to that conference? For example, how will he explain that the Government he leads has decided to grant the lowest increase in 30 years to pensioners and the poor? How will he reconcile his policy statements, when in Opposition, with this latest pathetic attempt to help the really marginalised within our society?
If the Deputy wishes to look at the overall increase in the amount being provided for social welfare this year that people will have in their pockets because of the earlier payment date of the increases, he will see that in real money terms the benefit is very substantial. In addition, it is worth pointing out that this will be a world summit on social problems. The really important point to mention is that, in recent years, ours has been one of the very few countries in Europe — I think Denmark may be the only other one — where there has been a substantial increase in overseas development aid. There have been reductions in this aid in many other countries. A number of important member states within the European Union proposed that the European Union overseas development aid provision should be cut back. We have not moved in that direction. We have shown our commitment to the eradication of poverty worldwide by our consistent increases in overseas development aid. On assuming office and examining the Estimates left to us by the previous Government, I am glad to say that one of the early decisions of this Government was to substantially increase the provision for overseas development aid within those Estimates.
I am well aware of the Rowtree study of last year showing that we were the only country that effected a reduction in equalities, or at least we were one of the very few OECD countries.The Taoiseach will be asked at this conference to present an antipoverty programme for each participating country, and he will have to prepare a programme for this country. However, according to the Conference of Religious of Ireland, his Government, in its first budget, has widened the gap between social welfare recipients and others. It is not the overall provision that is important — pensioners, widowers, childless unemployed couples and other couples, are all now worse off. That is something over which the Taoiseach must stand at this conference. What paper will the Taoiseach present to show what he has done to endeavour to build——
What is the question?
——on what we did in this respect?
The increases in social welfare, both in terms of rates and of the amounts received, are substantially greater than the rate of inflation; in other words, those on social welfare will be better off as a result of these budgetary provisions.
That is not true.
Has Deputy Ahern checked on this with his colleague, Deputy Brennan, whom I recently heard on radio complain that there was too great an increase in public spending in this budget? The Leader of his party is now calling for more increases in public spending.
You have given it all to the banks.
It seems we are experiencing a degree of schizophrenia on the Opposition benches in terms of policy.
Many of the questions raised are more appropriate to the ongoing budget debate.
I want to make this point——
Ask a question.
You are not allowed answer questions.
The Deputy is making a bad fist of it.
The Minister for the west.
People, particularly pensioners, will judge the true position for themselves. As the Government's public relations budget will increase by 108 per cent is the Taoiseach really saying that the income of people on social welfare will be in line with inflation?
In contrast, my predecessor spent £30,000 on public relations. I do not intend to spend a fraction of that sum.
Because of your programme manager's salary.
Will the Taoiseach consider extending the tax relief provisions introduced in the budget for overseas charities to charities at home as a means of assisting organisations working in the poverty and social development area?
That matter can be raised by the Deputy in the debate on the Finance Bill.
Does the Taoiseach agree with the verdict of the Conference of Religious in Ireland on the recent budget and the widening inequality between those who have and those who have not?
That is a separate question. Let us come to Question No.3.
Is the Taoiseach not going to answer that question?
Many of the questions being raised now are obviously appropriate to the budget debate.
The Taoiseach will have to present details on this to the summit in Copenhagen.