Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I can put it another way. At a time when we had the highest per capita income, during the highest rates of growth, we were second from bottom in regard to social protection. However one measures it, our budget expenditure on social protection is significantly less than the European average.

Taking the European Union anti-poverty network and the text of the treaty, my understanding was that there would be poverty-proofing of other policies, including the five new headlines the Minister mentioned. Can I take it there will be poverty-proofing across these five new indicators and that a significant attempt will be made to achieve the European average in social protection?

I refer to the education figures the Minister mentioned. I am afraid we would not allow them to cloud the fact that we have significant obstacles in our own back to education scheme for the unemployed.

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