Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The key point, where families are in these situations, is that we provide services so they do not have to go to moneylenders, and provide alternative mechanisms such as MABS, utilising credit unions and our social protection services to eliminate the necessity at all to be going to moneylenders. We do this also through some of the initiatives that were brought in in the recent budget, through social protection in respect of school meals, for example, enhancing supports for lone parents, particularly in support of their children, and in terms of child dependent allowances. Very targeted measures were taken in the budget with a view to supporting the families most in need. In my view, all State institutions and agencies, and the mechanisms at their disposal, should be used to eliminate this need. We have the firepower to do that, as a State.

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