FF ducks Dáil debate on social welfare cuts

FIANNA FÁIL deputies have been accused of cowardice after taking shelter in a private parliamentary party meeting rather than speaking in the Dáil to support the controversial cuts to social welfare payments.

The opposition was offered extra speaking time during the debate on the social welfare bill because there were no Fianna Fáil backbenchers available to discuss the motion.

The chief whip’s office confirmed it asked the opposition to provide speakers and said this was because the FF TDs were at their weekly parliamentary party gathering.

Fine Gael whip Paul Kehoe said the FF members had gone into hiding and it was left to Paul Gogarty of the Green Party and renegade FF TD Mattie McGrath to argue for the Government.

“Never in all my time as whip have I seen the Government so reluctant to speak, and so keen to give opposition members more time.”

The bill passed through the Dáil yesterday by 80 votes to 75, giving legal effect to the welfare cuts. After an electronic vote in the Dáil the Labour Party’s whip Emmet Stagg demanded a traditional walk-through ballot so the Government TDs would have to register their support for the bill.

For long stretches of yesterday’s debate Social Protection Minister Eamon Ó Cuív sat along with just one other TD on the Government benches.

His voice was hoarse when he finished off the discussion with a speech defending the decision to end an exemption medical card holders used to have from the income and health levies.

This will result in up to 7% being taken off the income of working medical card holders. But Mr Ó Cuív said in the long term the new qualifications would be more suitable.

The bill to cut €8 off most weekly payments was backed by independents Michael Lowry, Jackie Healy-Rae and Joe Behan.

Roisín Shortall of the Labour Party said Mr Healy-Rae had forgotten his role as chairman of the Oireachtas committee on social protection in order to help improve the electoral chances of his son, Michael.

“For the sake of some kind of grubby deal he has done, so that he can maintain his political dynasty in Kerry he has just ignored the concerns of all those people who have looked to him during the year,” she said.

Immediately after passing the social welfare bill the Government turned its attention to the minimum wage and introduced the legislation needed to lower it to €7.65 an hour.

This will be voted on at 1pm today.