Ms Michelle Murphy:

No, they said that it will not happen in this budget. Our concern is that overall, a monthly payment will not resolve child poverty anyway. Those children live in households and we need to look at the weekly income of the house, whether it is a family in employment - because they can also be living below the poverty line - or a family that is reliant on a social welfare payment. For us, the key issue is the core welfare rates, the adult rate and, if the person is employed, the hours they are working and the level of pay they get.

The other point we would make is to ensure that whatever policies are implemented reach those families at the very bottom of the income decile. What has come out of the tax strategy group papers is that it reaches the second and third income decile.

For those at the very bottom who need it the most, it does not do the heavy lifting it should be doing. For us, any increase in child benefit or any extra payment is welcome as long as it is well designed but ultimately, it is the weekly increases that matter the most whether through pay, the minimum wage, the living wage or adult welfare rates. That is ultimately what is going to lift those children out of poverty.