Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions also. Mr. McCabe mentioned poverty and it is important we look at that. In terms of the redistribution of income, Ireland has the most redistributive system of all countries in the OECD. We had a meeting on this issue and Dr. Donal de Buitléir has written a lot on the issue. No matter how we cut it, we, more than any other country, redistribute income through tax and social transfers. The poverty reduction effect of social transfers in Ireland in comparison with other EU countries is approximately 60%, whereas the EU average is 36%. Not only do we redistribute, our redistribution is hugely effective. Therefore, I ask is it an issue of poverty or are there other issues? For example, if we look at a home that is visited, there is definitely cash going into that home, which would not be the case in other EU or OECD countries. They would not have that level of cash transfers.

We have a weakness in terms of public infrastructure. When there is child poverty I wonder if there are other issues. When the child goes to school hungry, is it just straightforward poverty? It is a bit like homelessness in that there are obviously other issues involved. I wonder about the DEIS review and if the demographic profile of some DEIS schools is not as disadvantaged. Some people are not in DEIS schools who should be in DEIS schools while others who should not be in DEIS, so there is a debate to be had around the schools that do not take up the DEIS designation.

With regard to costs, I am aware of some companies who offer a packed lunch and the children can go in themselves and pick what they want; a piece of fruit and a sandwich or whatever. If private companies can run these types of schemes, then it must be profitable for them to do that. They are not doing it for charity as they do not seem to be charities. Scale must come into the equation.

Reference was made to school inspections. I wonder when private companies are engaged by schools and are there issues around the transparency of that process to ensure that there would be fairness, proper competition and that no single company would have a monopoly.