Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

This is the equivalent of shooting the messenger. The argument about the way of measuring poverty in this country is over. Whatever disagreements may have existed about it in the past, we know now that all of those groups working in this area, including research organisations and indeed the Minister's Department, accept the way of measuring poverty in this country.

What these figures show is that in recent years where the Government has targeted poverty among older people through changes and improvements in the social welfare system, that has worked. However, the glaring problem that remains is the question of child poverty. Does the Minister accept that 11% of children are living in poverty and that this represents some 96,000 children? One in nine children under the age of 14 is living in poverty.

I concede that there has been very welcome success in tackling poverty among older people through welfare measures. Is the Minister now prepared to put the same kind of focus on and target resources in the same way in respect of children at risk of poverty? By any standards, having 96,000 children living in poverty amid the prosperity in this country is entirely unacceptable.

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