Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the most effective way to get any individual out of poverty is to provide employment. The pattern of difficult decisions the Government has had to make arising from the legacy we inherited from his party has made it enormously difficult to ensure we have an expanding domestic economy because of the measures that have had to be take to deal with our public finances. Child and adult poverty are linked to the provision of jobs and I look forward to working with the Deputy to ensure we increase economic activity arising from recent decision made by the European Central Bank and the Government to give us breathing space on the financial side.

Child benefit rates have been reduced, as they were by Fianna Fáil in 2010 when times got difficult in the context of our public finances. The increases of previous times have been eroded but substantial support is still being given to children notwithstanding the difficult financial position.

The establishment of the child and family support agency will provide the focus the Deputy advocates. Mental health and other issues that have not been addressed yet will be dealt with over the next year in the context of legislation. I explained where the suite of legislation is at. The principal legislation will be published this session and I look forward to the Deputy's support for it.

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