Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for an opportunity to speak in this urgent and important debate on the unsustainability of the debt burden imposed on Ireland and other European countries. I commend and thank my Independent colleague, Deputy Catherine Murphy, for placing the motion before the House. I urge all Deputies to support it tomorrow night.

The issue of debt must be addressed. I urge support for a European debt conference. Let us open our minds to new ideas and solutions, rather than continuing with the tired old conservative solutions that are destroying the country. We must face reality when discussing the unsustainable debt burden imposed on Ireland and other countries, which is an obstacle to economic and social development. Ireland became a casualty of timing when private banking debts were socialised. This decision sacrificed the social and economic interests of citizens. There is an urgent need to recapture solidarity, the founding principle of the European Union, and engage in a co-operative effort to promote sustainable growth and job creation across Europe. This is the objective of the motion.

Let us reject boring old conservative phrases such as "affordable" and "repayable". The key phrase in the motion is "social and economic development", which will be essential if we are to address the issue of debt. The interest on our debt amounts to €7.5 billion per annum or approximately 40% of the country's income tax revenue. This figure is only slightly less than the annual cost of the education system. Irish public and private debt amounts to approximately €700 billion. The challenge is not only to reduce our debt but also to facilitate social and economic development. We should be brave and radical by embracing the issue of debt justice. We need new and dynamic solutions to our problems.

More than 400,000 children live in deprivation, of whom 140,000 live in dire poverty. Families are at severe risk of poverty and the percentage of the population in poverty increased from 7.7% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2013. This is a national scandal. Almost 31% of the population - 1.4 million people - are experiencing deprivation and are unable to afford basic items. One quarter of the population cannot afford to heat their homes adequately, which must be difficult in the weather we have been having recently. Deprivation rates are most acute among lone parents, the unemployed and those who are not working due to illness or disability. It is also scandalous that people with a disability have taken a hit in this crisis.

Children in wealthy areas receive more special education teaching hours than children in other areas. For example, the Department of Education and Skills conducted a survey this year which found that children in Terenure receive more special education teaching hours than children in Dublin 17. The reason for the discrepancy in provision is that parents of children in wealthier schools pay between €400 and €600 to have psychological assessments done privately. These are then fed into the public education system where they are used in determining resource hours and staffing allocations to schools, and so the gulf widens.

For the record, private assessments cost in the region of €400 and €600. All children should have equal access to educational resources irrespective of their parent's wealth. That is the reality on the ground. Ireland is ranked 37 out of 41 OECD countries, ahead of Croatia, Latvia, Greece and Iceland in a league table measuring relative changes in child poverty. We have seen that 18 OECD countries recorded a reduction in child poverty during the period, including Chile, Australia and Poland. UNICEF said recently that the impact of the financial crisis saw a disproportionate decline in children's well-being. In other words, it disputes the "blame it on the recession" approach.

I urge all Deputies to come to the House tomorrow to support Deputy Catherine Murphy's motion. It is about the future of this country and about economic development. Above all, however, it is about the citizens of this country.

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