Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, the Minister and the Government have been found wanting. They have been found wanting for children in this country. The latest child poverty monitor report found that more than 250,000 children, or more than one in five children, in this State experienced enforced deprivation in 2023. The number of children experiencing enforced deprivation rose by almost 20% last year. The Government is responsible for that. The Minister spoke about the €12 a week increase, but it was just €4 a week for qualified children, which was nowhere near enough to offset the massive rise in the cost of living. These increases have, for example, seen grocery prices rise by about 20% in the last five years. There has also been a doubling of electricity prices in the two years to April 2023. Although the rate of increase of prices across the board has come down, prices themselves have not come down. They continue to rise and this is why we need substantial increases in payment rates to ensure that people will not be living below the poverty line.

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