Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is a good argument for keeping some of those additional measures.

We hear all of the time that childcare is one of the key issues. I am aware there has been increased investment, and that there is a plan for a joint labour committee, JLC, which is all very welcome, but we also need to keep the focus on as much investment as possible. We know it is mainly women who are affected by that issue, many of whom are the head of a single-parent household and they are affected by poverty more than other households.

The school meals programme is excellent. If possible we should look at widening it. It should not just be for DEIS schools. There are kids in non-DEIS schools who would also need that. I just wanted to raise the issue and I believe that we really need to keep a focus particularly on areas such as food poverty and childcare. These are really practical ways we can help families out of poverty. It is not good to have to say that in 2022 people in the State is relying on food banks. Perhaps there could be a little bit more joined-up thinking on these issues. I acknowledge that some of this falls to the Department of Education, with regard to school meals but it also falls to the Minister's Department.

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