Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The starkest example of how unimportant child poverty and homelessness are to this Government is in its amendment to this motion. The Government's response mentions reducing child poverty but nowhere does it mention eradicating it entirely. The response also mentions that this Government has announced a target of 3% or less of consistent poverty to be achieved by the end of 2030. Does the Government believe it is acceptable for up to 3% of Irish children to live in consistent poverty? Will it make that its campaign slogan and put it on its election posters the next time around? I think not, somehow.

The motion states that the number of children in consistent poverty nearly doubled in 2024, up to 8.5%. Research by the ESRI shows that one in five children, or more than 225,000, lives in a family below the poverty line when housing costs are accounted for. The cost-of-living crisis is deepening, with annualised food price inflation in August up by 5%, and for the first time in the history of the State, child homelessness has surpassed 5,000. These are all the result of Government policies and decisions. Does the Government listen to the ESRI, the Children's Rights Alliance or any of the other bodies and agencies that are ringing the alarm bells on child poverty? The number of children in consistent poverty rose by 78% in the last year. This amounts to over 100,000 children trapped in poverty, with advocates warning that it could take four to five generations to break this cycle. This State has the funds to end child poverty. Alternatives to the Government's position are given regularly but are ignored and this is the outcome of that. I dread to think what the figures would be like without the Drogheda Women's and Children's Refuge, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and all of the other fantastic groups operating locally in Drogheda and elsewhere around the country trying to alleviate and reduce the consequences of this Government's failure of the children of this nation. I urge the Minister to listen here today and to make a pledge to end child poverty and homelessness. I urge him not only to make that pledge, but to bloody well act on it.

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