Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's reply amazes me. The UNICEF report said it did not have to be like this. Many other countries such as Chile, Poland and Romania did a much better job of protecting their children through five years of so-called fiscal adjustments with countries beholden to the International Monetary Fund faring worst.

The chief executive officer of Barnardos has said, "Sadly, we know the number of children living in poverty in Ireland grew horrifically during the recession". What we have learned from this report is that it was not inevitable. The Taoiseach is saying it has been inevitable. Some 18 out of 41 countries managed to reduce child poverty, despite the economic downturn. The increase in this country is the fifth worst in a list topped by Iceland and Greece and it is a damning indictment of the Taoiseach's Government and the previous Government and of the policies of austerity which have been implemented over the past number of years. The Taoiseach has given people the crumbs off the table and these are being swept aside into the dustbin.

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