Too little for disabled, pollution and health

Opposition ReactionThe opposition parties picked fault with the Government's commitment to disability services, which was the centrepiece of the Budget introduced yesterday. The commitments on health were also criticised last night, as was the failure to introduce significant environmental measures.

Fine Gael argued the new funding for disability services did not include money to adapt the homes of disabled people. The party's spokesman on disability, Mr David Stanton, said "fundamental" housing needs were not recognised by the Budget.

"Not one cent of additional money has been allocated to the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government to be spent on housing adaptations for people with disabilities," he said.

The Labour TD, Ms Kathleen Lynch, argued there was too little in the Budget for people with disabilities whom she said the Government has long since ignored. As a result, they "have been forced to take to the streets to secure justice and any measure of rights," she argued. "While funding has been allocated at last, the task will not be complete until there is a proper statutory underpinning," she added.

The Sinn Féin TD, Mr Caoimhgín Ó Caoláin, criticised the new GP-only medical card scheme for their real low value.

Those entitled to the GP-only card "will still bear the heavy cost of medicines which together with hospital attendances represent three quarters of the value of the medical card", he said.

The Green environment spokesman, Mr Ciarán Cuffe, said Mr Cowen had failed to increase taxes on pollution, which would have provided him the opportunity to reduce the tax burden on labour.

A number of green groups have "favoured carbon taxes on finite resources, but this has not occurred, even though they would have had a positive impact on the economy and the environment," he said.