Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

My worry is that we have had targets previously and they were missed by a mile. A concerted effort is needed. When we talk about deprivation and child poverty, we are talking about households in which members are unable to afford two pairs of properly fitting shoes that are in good condition and suitable for daily activities, or a warm waterproof coat. It is unimaginable that poverty on this scale is happening in the State when it really does not need to be occurring. The statistics show who needs to be targeted, including, in particular, lone-parent households, especially where there are teenagers, who bring additional costs. What we are hearing in the media from the Minister's Government colleagues is really disturbing. The notion that there might be people sitting either at parliamentary party meetings or around the Cabinet table, God help us, who believe the cost-of-living crisis is over is deeply disturbing. The cost-of-living crisis is very much not over and it must be urgently addressed by the Government.

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