Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is where Ireland is positioned globally. There has been a consistent reduction over the past number of years in child poverty. Covid created challenges but we put huge investment into social protection. We targeted that investment at children at risk and will continue to do so in the context of social welfare payments, which will be doubled in the forthcoming payment next week as part of our cost-of-living package.

See this speech in context