Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I read with interest the A Better Normal report by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. There are several points I wish to make regarding the report and what it highlights. It is shameful that there is need for such a report. We are supposed to be a civilised society. Although I am not sure that we can ever eradicate poverty entirely, it is frightening that the report indicates that child poverty rates could increase to 19%. That would be almost one fifth of children living below the poverty line. That has long-lasting consequences for children. It affects their health, well-being, life experience, educational attainment and future work prospects.

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures sets out the Government's previous target of reducing child poverty by 70,000 by 2020, but that target was missed. Not only was it missed, but the rate of child poverty is increasing. As the Minister stated, Ireland signed up to the European child guarantee in June but has a national child guarantee co-ordinator been appointed? Have adequate resources been given to that person or whoever it is that is co-ordinating and overseeing the implementation of this recommendation?

According to the report, homelessness is indicated as one of the most extreme contributors to poverty and a poor standard of living. A home is supposed to be a safe place to which people, and children in particular, can go. A hotel room or a family hub is not a safe place. They do not have the indoor or outdoor space for children to grow, learn and interact normally. There is no privacy in a hotel room. Children are ashamed of the fact that they are homeless and living in those conditions.

Investment in areas with a history of poverty and deprivation is needed. Targeted approaches such as free school dinners, community childcare and parental training supports, for example, need to be rolled out. Families have to be targeted and given the supports they need to get out of the poverty trap because it is frequently inter-generational. A cross-government departmental approach is needed but we have a system that actually reinforces poverty. A single parent recently contacted me to say she got a job but was told that her social welfare entitlements would be cut. She was going to end up financially worse off working than she would if she stayed on her social welfare entitlement. Many people choose to work because they want to work and show a good example to their children but often they lose not only their social welfare entitlements but also their medical card and back-to-school allowance, as well as the right to the housing assistance payment, HAP. Society is encouraging people to remain on State supports and that is not fair and it is encouraging poverty.

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