Dáil debates

Thursday, 25 November 2021

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right in one of the fundamental points he made, that if we can reduce poverty and inequality in our society the number of these difficult issues that arise will be less. He will acknowledge that Ireland is a country in which poverty has been falling in the last five or six years, if not the last ten years. It is a country in which inequality has been narrowing. Some people try to deny that, but it is a fact and the Central Statistics Office's survey on income and living conditions, SILC, confirms that. I am proud to be a member of the Government that has overseen a reduction in poverty and a narrowing of inequality in Ireland over the last period. We want that to continue. We will continue it by pursuing both economic policies that generate wealth and social policies that reduce poverty and narrow inequality.

In terms of the services, I agree that we must invest more in services such as Tusla, homelessness services and others. It is good that we have a dedicated agency in Tusla. We did not have one previously as it was a matter that was left to the HSE. We must continue to invest in Tusla, as we are now and in the next couple of years.

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