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

I thank the Deputies for tabling the motion because we cannot speak enough about child poverty. We on the Opposition benches have put forward plenty of solutions. We have flagged to the Government time and again issues as they arise. They arise in our advice clinics and in our offices and we make sure we bring the message directly to the Government.

In his opening remarks, the Minister for Social Protection told us the motion did not reflect the complex and multifaceted nature of child poverty and it did not reflect the significant progress made by the Government. I suppose he might forgive us for not rambling in here to give the Government a massive pat on the back, given what we see every day of the week. He told us that tackling child poverty and homelessness was not merely a matter of policy but a national imperative rooted in our values as a society. The absolute neck of him to say this. It is everybody else's fault and everybody else's problem except the Government's. We see it every single day of the week. It is heartbreaking to see parents who cannot afford to manage with their kids. It is heartbreaking when they tell us that, after they have paid the rent, for food, the exorbitant crèche fees and the fees for devices in schools because the free book scheme does not take account of them, and in many instances having been to the Society of St Vincent de Paul or the community welfare officer, they have nothing left. They are left to face their kids and tell them they have nothing left. Treats are gone. They are a thing of the past.

It is not hard to see the solutions. The solutions are very simple but the Government needs to start by recognising the facts and acknowledging the failure of policy. The number of children in consistent poverty is at 8.5% but this is doubled when we take into account the cost of housing.

If he can, I urge the Minister to imagine for a moment just how expensive it is to be poor. To live in emergency accommodation is to be reliant on fast food and takeaways, which are more expensive. When people are poor, the Government forces them into a situation whereby they have to pay for the most expensive option. People who are on the ESB meters are the same; they pay the most expensive rates. There are children in this State, in a time of plenty, who are going to bed hungry. That is a matter of Government policy and Government policy, if it changes, will address that issue.

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