Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

One of the questions I asked was on the National Social and Development Office and its work. Is that office carrying out any research in the area of poverty or social exclusion? One in seven children are consistently poor which is a worrying statistic. Is the Taoiseach aware of work being done to investigate why that level of consistent poverty is so bad with one in ten being the average overall? One can answer that Ireland has half the level of social protection expenditure as Sweden but I would like to know whether there is further work to be done in that area and whether the Government will heed it.

The national centre for partnership and performance recently produced some interesting statistics. I wish to ask the Taoiseach about the NCPP's supporting gender equality in Ireland report produced last year. There is a gender pay gap of 15% and women are 50% less likely to receive performance related pay. Will that result in the Government making any effort or putting specific measures in place to address that? The report by the same organisation on the workplace of the future highlights that the largest number of case files now before the Equality Authority concern racism in the workplace. On that basis, has any effort been made to address the distinct disadvantage for people coming to this country where their second and third level qualifications are not recognised and where they find themselves in a lower grade of employment than their qualifications would otherwise deserve? Will the Taoiseach address that matter given the need for migrant workers and the potential to take up their skills? When one hears of people being deported, for example trainee nurses in one case of which I am aware, does it not point to the fact we need an immigration policy which goes beyond refugee status and humanitarian considerations? The office seems to be pointing in that direction as well.

See this speech in context