Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

The stark and ever-worsening reality of child poverty is laid bare in the child poverty monitor and wider research. The Children's Rights Alliance has issued a stark warning that unless ambitious action is taken by the Government it will take Ireland four to five generations to break the cycle of poverty. The report found that the number of children living in consistent poverty rose by a staggering by 45,107 in 2024 to almost 103,000 children. This reflects immense damage being inflicted on young lives with the potential to cause harm into adulthood. We know that adversity chain reacts across the lifespan. This is not evitable. It is not a natural disaster. It has come about through political decision-making. It is a scandalous indictment of successive Governments that are State coppers are overflowing, but at the same time we see child poverty soaring.

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