Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the Minister is not aware of the report, which is entitled Cost of Living Crisis: Impact on Children Report 2023. The Minister has not addressed the cost-of-living crisis and its impact in the immediate term. Instead he tells me that his Department has a strategy from 2023 to 2028.

How does that resolve the issues for families, 57% of whom, when asked, said they could not afford to allow their children to take part in social activities, 23% of whom said they could not afford school trips or activities and 43% of whom had to let their children go without adequate clothing? There are statements all over this report from people really suffering with the cost-of-living crisis: "I'm afraid to do the washing because of the price of ESB." "We've had no heating for the past two months. ... Warmer outside at times than inside ..." These are immediate issues. They do not require a strategy from 2023 to 2028; they require immediate intervention. Can you believe that in the Ireland of 2023, the third richest country on the planet, these statistics are allowed to go unanswered and undealt with by the Minister's Government? His answer is to tell me that he has this grand strategy for the next five years. We do need a strategy to end child poverty, but the Government could do that in the here and now. The Government, not just Deputy O'Gorman as Minister, has more money in the coffers than it knows what to do with. Child poverty needs to be ended and these issues have to be dealt with now.

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