Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

In the last budget, I itemised the issues. The free schoolbooks scheme is now part of the budget and of the base, which is very important. It is not once off or anything like that. It is the same with free transport for those aged between five and eight and the hot school meals programme. We did not extend VAT either. I have made it clear that in the next budget, for the Government and in the context of the programme for Government, investment in housing and social housing will be key in addressing child poverty. Disability has to be prioritised through income supports. A child poverty approach in the budget is essential. I have a child poverty unit in my Department that will come up with proposals. We are committed to this but I hope I get the Opposition’s support. It is easy to call for everything for everything but, actually, we would not have the finances over a period to sustain that.

We have invested hugely and we accept fully that grocery prices are at an elevated high. The rate of inflation has come down but that does not mean the new order has come down. Prices went up significantly in the past three years, particularly after the Covid pandemic and the energy crisis brought about by the war owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I have no argument about that, and that is why there were very significant once-off packages on top of the mainstream provisions for children, in particular in schools, which did bring down the costs for families. I recall that every autumn parents used to dread having to buy the schoolbooks. It was a big problem for them. We have removed that, essentially. The hot school meals programme is also a huge intervention. We can refine and improve it in terms of the quality of food and get all that right but it is a big change. I acknowledge that we need to do more about child poverty but there is a choice facing everyone in this House.

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