Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

The Minister has frequently said that a job is the best way out of poverty for people and in most cases that is true. However, does he accept there is a cohort of people in employment who find it extremely difficult to survive? I am not only referring to the early stages when transitional arrangements are required. In many ways the welfare system operates on an all or nothing basis. Given that many people are on a low level of income, especially those employed on the minimum wage who have children, that cohort find it difficult to survive. I am referring in particular to families who need to pay rent in the private sector, which might be quite high, and people who have child care costs. Those who are in employment and living in consistent poverty number some 30,000. This is not a temporary phenomenon. The money they earn every week from their employment is not sufficient to pay their overheads. Does the Minister accept the existence of this cohort of people? The CSO put that figure at 1.6% of the working population, which accounts for approximately 30,000 people. They live in consistent poverty. What steps is the Minister taking to lift those people out of poverty and to provide supports for them on an ongoing basis to enable them to keep their heads above water?

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