Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The figures speak for themselves. In 2020, the consistent poverty rate for those aged over 65 was 1%. It is now 2.5%. Deprivation and at risk of poverty have increased. For those unable to work - I presume many of them are people with disabilities - deprivation is up to 39.6% and consistent poverty is at 19.2%. All those rates are up. There are no improvements or reductions. That is not happening. Lone parent households are suffering most when it comes to the composition of households. There is a massive difference in consistent poverty rates between two-parent and lone-parent households. What Mr. Coffey said is all well and good, but the figures speak for themselves.

We know many people living with a disability are living in poverty and experiencing deprivation. The cost of disability payment is what is most important now for that cohort of people. I hope matters are progressing in respect of that payment because that will be very important in lifting people out of poverty.

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