One of the many groups disappointed by the budget is the carers group. In budget 2013, the respite care grant was disgracefully cut by €325. I am sure the Tánaiste knows the payment is a lifeline for almost 80,000 carers and their families. The Tánaiste should right the wrong done to these families and take advantage of the social welfare legislation to restore a necessary payment for these families. Can the Tánaiste tell us if she is prepared to do so? Statements have been issued by carers and their organisations and they are deeply angry and upset at the failure to reverse the cut. It should have featured as part of the budget given that the Tánaiste tells us she is lifting austerity.

That is not relevant to the Order of Business.

The second issue concerns the JJ Rhatigan and Co. workers at Kishoge Community College in Lucan. JJ Rhatigan and Co. has been contracted by the Department of Education and Skills to build a school. I understand this is not the only school they have been contracted to build. The firm is in dispute with the workers because it has broken the law on the basic rights and entitlements of the workers. The workers were at the gate today speaking to Deputies.

Can the Deputy ask a question on this?

I do not know if they got to speak to the Tánaiste. What regulatory, legislative or political response does the Tánaiste offer to workers who are at their wits end? Their basic rights have been trampled on and the law has been broken. They have no comfort or statutory protection.

With regard to carers and the wonderful work they do for the people they care for, the Deputy is aware they will be among the principal beneficiaries of the partial restoration of the Christmas bonus. For an individual carer, this means an additional payment in December. In respect of the individual, if the family of the carer is in receipt of social welfare the amount will be higher. It will be in the region of €60 or €70 and more if the family is involved. It is a small amount, which I appreciate, but we have not been able to do all that we would like to do in respect of social welfare in the budget. We have been able to do that.

A commitment has been given to include carers in the €100 water support payment. Carers will receive some support from the budget. I would love to be able to reverse every one of the spending cuts made, including the €16.80 reduction in the weekly payments made by the Fianna Fáil-led Government before the last election. People with disabilities and older people are the two types of people carers care for and the living alone allowance will increase in respect of people with a disability and older people who live alone. Although we have not been able to do as much as we would like, we have made a substantial provision for improving payments to carers and having them share in some of the €200 million additional funding put into the social welfare budget. It is not as much as I would like and hopefully next year and the year after we will be able to do more but that is what we have been able to do this year. We have had to restore the economy and increase employment so that we can provide for payments and services to important people who do wonderful work, like carers.

I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, who is dealing with labour issues to contact Deputy McDonald about the JJ Rhatigan and Co. dispute. It has also been before the courts and I am not aware of the detail of the court case.