Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

If anything ever showed the need for an independent agency, it is that answer. I will ask for the Minister's opinions. The Combat Poverty Agency is an advisory body that uses evidence-based proposals to combat poverty. Recently, the Minister stated that the agency was established when people needed to focus on combating poverty. Given this statement, does the Government believe that we no longer need to focus on poverty? It would be a natural conclusion to draw.

From a poverty perspective, what is the Minister's opinion on the introduction of the 1% levy? The issue is being revisited, but people on the minimum wage who earn anything else will fall under it. Is the Minister aware that, according to the Central Statistics Office, 10% of people living in consistent poverty are in employment? How will the budget's addition of a levy address this matter and help to take them out of consistent poverty?

Is the Minister aware that a low income household spends just under 50% of its total weekly income on food and fuel, which are staples? A family on an average income spends only20%. How can the Minister disagree with the conclusions drawn by the Combat Poverty Agency? As it is still a Government advisory agency, why is she not taking its views on the budget on board?

See this speech in context