Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On Tuesday, in an exchange in the House, the Taoiseach referred to the UN human development index ranking, which had Ireland in third place for quality of life. It was calculated using the three categories of health, education and income. The statistics were life expectancy of 82 years, 18.79 expected years of schooling and gross national income of €55,659.68. There has been growth in the quality of life in Ireland since 2012. Then we come to the statistics we get in reply to questions. I will take housing as an example. We have statistics such as 64,000 new homes being delivered, 26,000 on site, a further 30,000 with planning permission and 75,000 families removed from consistent poverty. This brings to mind the clichéd phrase regarding statistics of lies, damned lies and statistics. I came across an interesting definition of statistics that is quite relevant to my question today. The definition is that statistics are like a bikini as what they reveal is interesting but what they hide is vital. Statistics reveal interesting information to answer questions but what they hide is the reality. Understanding this reality is vital to direct policies and strategies. What is hidden is the reality of life and the impact of not having a home, whether people are in emergency accommodation, sleeping rough, in overcrowded unsuitable accommodation or in direct provision. What is also hidden is the impact and reality of inequality.

I refer to two reports and I do not expect the Tánaiste to have heard of them. They were done by All Together in Dignity. These are The Hidden Dimensions of Poverty and a study on living in the shadows of socioeconomic deprivation. They came from conversations with people who are living with the reality of poverty. They speak about suffering mentally, emotionally and physically. They speak about institutional and social maltreatment, discrimination and disempowerment. This should not be happening in Ireland, a country that has wealth, a relatively small population, resources, investment and employment. It is great to celebrate coming third but it is nothing to celebrate for those whom I have mentioned. Coming third cannot allow us to be complacent and we have to be driven to ensure all can enjoy the quality of life that has Ireland in third place. It is vital that we consider a different ideology, different principles and a different philosophy and that we are driven by the values that direct our overseas development aid so that coming third applies to everybody. There is a need for a radical shift. Quality of life begins with a home.

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