Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Christmas approaches and we think of children at this magical time, I wish to ask the Taoiseach about child poverty. I know families in my area with children who have been moved from one school to another where the hot meals programme is in place. I feel I am addressing this issue constantly. I call for all schools to have a hot meals programme. I see people come into my clinics looking for food parcels. I ask the Taoiseach that we work on this. We cannot have children or families looking for these food parcels. We want to work with them and we have to make sure this does not happen. Where are we on the EU child guarantee?

I welcome the €100 to all households towards their electricity costs. It is a start. I know there are a lot more measures to come, but at least we are making that change. Again, I thank the Taoiseach.

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