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

I commend Deputy Kerrane. I will focus on child poverty. The impact of food poverty on children is a major concern. This is not a new phenomenon. It is something we have had for years in this country. Even before the most recent increases in the cost of living, the Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth was examining child poverty. Guests presented to the committee on the increase in the use of food banks. There is an impact on children when they do not get access to the proper and basic three meals a day. It is a reality for many families and children.

Let us think about that for a second. How would any of us feel if our children or our family's children were going to school hungry or with no lunch? In some cases, parents may be making the decision not to send their child to school because they know they do not have the lunch to put in their bags and do not want them to be embarrassed. The costs of school trips have increased. There is pressure on children to try to pretend that everything is okay in their world when they are struggling. There is an impact on children if they are not getting adequate food and nutrition. We all know that is not good for learning. It is not good if children are going into school cold or if they are trying to do their homework where there is not adequate heating. Perhaps they do not have access to all the things they need, including broadband and everything else. Many people take those things for granted.

We need to stop for a second and think about what we are talking about. We are talking about children here. We are talking about very young children who are seriously struggling. Parents are under serious pressure. They are heartbroken that they cannot provide food and facilities for their children. Perhaps they cannot provide the right books, uniforms, coats or shoes. That is as basic as the situation is getting in Ireland in 2022.

I will challenge the point that 38% of people have saved at least half of their childcare costs. I would love to know who they are and where that figure is coming from. I dispute that figure.

CWOs provide an excellent service. However, that service is not for everybody. People in any sort of employment, whether part time or for a few hours a week, will be told they do not qualify for a CWO payment. It is as simple as that. It is not right to say that people can go regularly to the CWO because that does not apply in the case of many people. We know that because people are coming to our constituency offices and asking us to contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul on their behalf because they have already tried the CWO.

See this speech in context