Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make one point in response to Deputy Joan Collins. Child poverty and social policy issues are obligations and competencies of member states. The European Union provides oversight and comparison of policies in the different member states. It tends not to act directly because that is the prerogative of national states and governments. In dealing with social exclusion and the well-being of children, it is as important to concentrate on the quality of services in education and health as it is on income. The strongest predictor of child poverty is to live in a jobless household.