The Government is absolutely committed to bringing people in out of the cold of social exclusion, and Wednesday's Budget was a powerful statement in that regard, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, told the Dail during the resumed Budget debate yesterday.

While the Budget would see an unprecedented amount of over £305 million in a full year invested in social inclusion measures, the Minister said that "what is of more fundamental significance is the strategy within which the expenditure fits".

"Older people along with those with disabilities and those who have been a long time out of the workplace don't want compassion or pity, they want respect," he said. With regard to older people, the Minister said the old age pension was being brought up to £100 over the lifetime of the Government. The elderly self-employed would be better off through the introduction of a special Old Age (Contributory) Pension for those who paid at least five years' contributions since April 6th, 1988.

In relation to those reliant on social welfare, Mr Ahern said he was pleased to note that the commitment contained in Partnership 2000 to raise all social welfare payments to the minimum rate recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare had been fulfilled by the Budget.

A new scheme for low-income farmers, Farm Assist, will come into operation in 1999.

The scheme, which will target income support to farmers in genuine need, will replace the current Smallholders' Assistance scheme. The Minister also said he was introducing a range of measures at an annual cost of £18 million to improve the lot of carers. The Budget, which in addition to those mentioned, included improvements in Family Income Supplement, Back to Work allowances and education allowances, was a "strong indicator of this Government's passion to include and its determination to make the structures and systems of the State serve the people - all the people."