Mr. Paul Ginnell:

Another thing that is important to mention is that while we talk about groups experiencing high levels of poverty and deprivation, there are also communities experiencing high levels of deprivation and, often, multigenerational poverty. It is extremely important that we talk about that issue. The Deputy is probably aware of the Pobal deprivation index. Based on the 2022 census, this index showed that the number of people living in Ireland's most disadvantaged communities has grown. Those communities are still the same communities they were decades ago. The gap between those in the most disadvantaged communities and in the most affluent communities has grown. The inequality has grown. While we are talking about issues in respect of household types and so on, it is also extremely important to look at strategies to address poverty and disadvantage in very marginalised communities. This should involve a cross-community approach and address multigenerational experiences of poverty and the deep impact they have had on those communities.