Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I will take up a couple of points raised. The witnesses talk about relative poverty and mention very high earners. That may have a negative impact on someone's relative poverty, but does it really matter? Surely, it is the absolute income people receive that is relevant. If you are earning a low or medium income, does it matter if the number of multimillionaires and people with massive income increases? Why are they using that as a measure of someone's poverty? Surely their absolute income is all that is relevant, and that they can afford to live.