Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While the minimum essential standard of living is met by the State pension in certain circumstances, that is just one tiny cohort of people when we consider the range of social welfare supports provided. I acknowledge that social welfare rates play a role in lifting and keeping people out of poverty. However, many of today's rates are set below the poverty line and are nowhere near the minimum essential standard of living.

The Minister spoke about evidence, but there is no evidence used in the debate we have every year about a fiver for this group, a fiver for that group and nothing for the other group. It is not evidence-based and that is the problem. Therefore, we have this political football ahead of the budget every year and people are left with no certainty. That is why we need the core social welfare rates to be set against that minimum essential standard of living for evidence. I accept we have some of the highest social welfare rates in Europe, but we also have one of the highest cost of living rates in Europe.

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