Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

In terms of poverty reduction, during the past ten years there has been a very significant reduction in consistent poverty in Ireland and we have used our resources quite effectively to achieve that. The latest results from the EU survey on income and living conditions released in November 2009, which applied to 2008, indicated at that stage that the reductions in poverty were on track to achieve the 2012 and 2016 targets. It showed that the rate of consistent poverty in the population in 2008 was 4.2%, down from 5.1% in 2007. I accept that since 2008, we have experienced the fuller impact of the economic crash which would affect those figures but we made significant progress.

In terms of education, sometimes we do not acknowledge some of our achievements. In regard to tertiary education attainment for 30 to 34 year old people, Ireland compares very favourably to other EU member states at 46.1%. Ireland already exceeds the proposed target of 40%. The current EU average is 31%.

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