Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his opening remarks. One has to give credit where it is due, that is, to Dr. Muldoon and his office.

It struck me while researching this issue that the Lisbon declaration was only signed in 2021 but child poverty has been around for a long time. The declaration acknowledges that, "homelessness is one of the most extreme forms of social exclusion, negatively affecting people’s physical and mental health, well-being, and quality of life, as well as their access to employment and access to other economic and social services". It is a travesty that it is necessary for us to discuss this matter today, in 2021.

The most recent report from the CSO lists several factors of which account is taken in measuring poverty rates among children. This is about basic deprivation. Some 23.3% of children in Ireland have lived with this. The factors listed include: being without heating at some stage in one year; being unable to afford a morning, afternoon or evening out in the past fortnight; being unable to afford two pairs of strong shoes; being unable to afford a roast once a week; being unable to afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day; being unable to afford new - not second-hand - clothes; being unable to afford a warm waterproof coat, which is especially important in this country; being unable to afford to replace worn-out furniture; and, more important, being unable to afford to buy presents for family or friends at least once a year. That is absolutely shocking in this century.

The Minister referred to family hubs and so on. He is right. It was a disaster as well. I welcome any development in this regard. I am a member of the Committee on Public Petitions, which has done a significant amount of work with many of the ombudsmen. I ask that consideration be given to establishing a sub-committee that would give the ombudsmen a voice in these Houses. We would assist them in any way we can. All those on this side of the House are in agreement that this issue must be dealt with and we can certainly work together on it. I welcome any development that can improve these services.

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