Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to clarify in case there is any misunderstanding about what I am saying about the anecdotal evidence. I am saying that consistent child poverty was 12% in 2014. Consistent poverty in the population as a whole in 2014 was 8%. The Government's proposal is to reduce that to 4% - to halve it - by 2016. All I am saying is that because the figures are not up-to-date we do not know if that target has been achieved or whether it is anywhere near being achieved. The anecdotal evidence from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and others suggests that it has not been achieved.

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