Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept that little progress has been made. In recent years, the investment in child benefit and direct funding to children in families has been phenomenal and bears no relation to the position in previous years. In the discussions with the social partners, those involved with the relevant agencies wanted much of the available resources to be targeted specifically at families in need that have children and which, due to their overall circumstances, are in danger of encountering serious difficulties regarding access to facilities. This is the reason my reply to the Deputy specifically referred to the need for a relationship in respect of the health services and housing. The Deputy is correct in stating there is a mixture of methods involved in dealing with this issue. At one level there is direct income support, which comes from my Department and which has improved hugely over the last number of years. Obviously I am anxious to do more, but I must work within the limits of what will be available at budget time in order to enhance the payments and change the basis on which they are set. There has been a major improvement over the last number of years.

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