Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

We have attended launches of many different reports in recent years. The reality is that those on welfare, those from the Traveller community, those leaving school early, homeless people, those with a disability, elderly people and lone parents are more likely to be poor than wealthy. I attended a recent launch at which the Minister claimed all the reports are complete and it is now time for action, on which we all agree. The Minister spoke about 65,000 children living in consistent poverty in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The Government agreed that by 2007 it would eradicate consistent poverty or reduce the consistent poverty rate to 2% and make a decisive impact on the eradication of relative poverty. Is it on course to achieve this commitment?

Ireland has the highest level of relative poverty in the European Union and child poverty rates are among the highest in the OECD. Does the Minister accept that in 2004 almost one in five of the population was living in relative poverty and approximately 7% of the population was living in consistent poverty? The benefits of economic growth are not trickling down and our performance in wealth distribution has been shameful. Using consistent poverty measures, the Combat Poverty Agency estimates that 150,000 children suffer deprivation. The figures and methods used to calculate consistent poverty are to be changed. Will this involve playing with the figures?

The most recent European Union survey on income and living conditions, which was published in December 2005, found that 19.4% of the population was living in relative poverty. Barnardos has indicated that one in seven children live in poverty. It is shameful that any child should live in poverty in such a rich country. Moreover, one in three children from disadvantaged areas has problems with reading and writing. I am concerned that a large cohort of people has been excluded from society. One in three children in disadvantaged areas leaves school without a qualification such as the leaving certificate and only one in 100 children from disadvantaged backgrounds are given an opportunity to engage in out-of-school activities, despite their proven development benefits.

A wide range of reports and analyses have been produced and policies have been introduced to address child poverty. Is the Government on target to eradicate poverty and remove 65,000 children from consistent poverty? When will this goal be achieved? Will it be in our lifetime or will another generation be stuck in poverty as the figures and research available would suggest? Resources are still not being pumped into disadvantaged areas and children are still leaving school early. Given that education is one of the keys to eliminating poverty, why is the necessary investment not coming on stream?

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