Vol. 508 No. 4
53 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has established priorities for spending in the forthcoming budget in view of his pre-budget forum during September 1999 and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18872/99]
As part of the budgetary process, my Department organises a pre-budget forum annually for voluntary organisations representing the welfare interests of a wide variety of people in Irish society including the elderly, people with disabilities, widows and widowers, lone parents, unemployed people, carers and family support groups. The forum gives these organ isations the opportunity to have a meaningful input into the budgetary process by ensuring that both I and my officials are fully appraised of their views, concerns and priorities in relation to social welfare improvements.
There was strong consensus among the various organisations attending the forum that this year's budget should share the benefits of economic growth with the poor and those on low incomes. The costs of the main proposals submitted amount to over £2 billion on a full year basis.
The establishment of an inclusive society, where all citizens have the opportunity and the incentive to participate fully in the social and economic life of the country, is a fundamental objective of this Government. In formulating proposals for inclusion in the 2000 budget, therefore, the Government will be endeavouring to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are invested in our social infrastructure to bring our social services up to the best standards.
The Government's action programme contains a wide range of commitments relating to the areas for which I have responsibility, including commitments to provide for substantial increases in social welfare payment rates, including increasing the old age pension to £100 per week over a five year period; to progressively relax the qualifying criteria for the carer's allowance to ensure that more carers get the benefit; to refocus the tax and welfare system in favour of the family unit; to establish a national mediation service; and to implement the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, including an overhaul of the means by which the State supports the incomes of people with disabilities.
As a result of the improvements provided for in the last two budgets, substantial progress has already been made in relation to many of the above commitments. For instance, the £6 per week increase for pensioners provided in last year's budget means that, in the two years since taking office, the Government has moved half way towards meeting its commitment to increase the old age contributory pension to £100 per week by the year 2002. The full year cost of all the 1999 improvements was a record £316 million.
My priorities for budget 2000 will include making further progress towards implementing the various programme commitments outlined above and responding where possible to the various concerns brought to my attention during the course of the budget process, having regard to the available resources.
