Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

First, I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement that there is an issue here in terms of low-paid workers and poverty. Nobody should be in poverty but the idea that people are working hard, are on an income where they are in poverty and the way the taxation system is designed is part of the problem, should not be the case. We should not have 6% of working people in poverty. That needs to be tackled. I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement of that and the detailed response. Regarding the examples the Minister was giving, the key thing here is that for a lot of low-paid workers who are in poverty, many of them are on the minimum wage or just above and many are in part-time work. There could be very good reasons they are in part-time work in terms of other responsibilities they have or what work is available for them in practical terms. They should not be in poverty when they are working. The Minister is right. My experience is that people seek as much work as they can. For people in part-time work who are in poverty, it is not because there is an element of choice there. They could be caring for a sick relative or elderly parents. There are different factors there that limit their availability. It is not a choice to be in poverty and to be working. This does need to be tackled and this is the way to do it. However, if the Minister is not convinced on this measure, there is a responsibility for him to look at what way this will be tackled. It is not simply enough that it should be tackled through other supports and transfers because, ultimately, if you are working you should not be in poverty and the way the taxation system is designed should support that. Therefore, it needs to be addressed.