Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I start by talking about the progress of Ireland over the past 20 years. There has been a lot of discussion in the House about poverty. However, the SILC report published prior to the budget indicated that those at risk of poverty was 10.6% in 2023. That is a historic low and is down from 20% in 2005. We have halved the number of people at risk of poverty over 20 years. The number of people living in consistent poverty in 2023 was down compared with 2022. It is getting better and went from 4.9% to 3.6%, so it is down. People at risk of poverty was 10.6% in 2023. That is down from 12.5 in 2022 - in other words, more improvements. Let us be clear that when people talk about other measures in the budget, they are also talking about us not having those cost-of-living measures for everyone and the universal element. If the Government's cost-of-living measures had not supplemented incomes, if we had not done that, those at risk of poverty would not have been 12%. It would have been 13%. In 2023, 3.6% of people were found to be living in consistent poverty. Without the Government's measures that would have been 4.4%. In other words, all the measures we are taking are having a real impact, both for people at risk of poverty and those in consistent poverty. When you look at the detail of that, the percentage of people who are unable to afford two pairs of well-fitting shoes was 2.1% in 2022. Again, that is down, so 98% of people were able to afford those. Those people unable to afford a warm, waterproof coat were 1.3%, which was again down to 1.2%. Measures like the free schoolbooks scheme, the free school meals scheme, many of the other anti-poverty measures we took and the costs the State put on people, had an impact. By making those improvements we reduced the cost of living in the country, particularly for those people who were at risk of poverty. I congratulate us for the work we have done. It is a significant reduction. We of course want to see that figure reduced further and I think we will, but we do it on the basis of an economic model that allows us to create the environment where we are not only able to do that, but also to put away measures in the future where we can continue to invest in infrastructure when the economic cycle is not as positive.

There are a number of measures that I want to welcome, including the over-66 fuel allowance, not only for the additional income that provides people, but the gateway into the better energy warmer homes scheme, which in some cases gives people up to €50,000 or €60,000 worth of work on their home at no cost to those older people. If I am right, the carer's allowance means test increase means somebody can earn up to €65,000 per year and still get the full carer's credit for those parents. I think we can do more. Some of that is about the recognition of care and the work carers do. We can do more to recognise that as a paid payment rather than a social assistance payment. I turn to disability. The White Paper had to be withdrawn and it was the right thing to do. There is more we can do, but the disability support grant was perhaps one area where we could continue in the future to recognise the real cost of disability while we are waiting for a full White Paper alternative to be delivered.

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