Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

The child poverty and child homelessness statistics are absolutely shocking. They are an utter scandal. We as a nation should be ashamed of ourselves. There are 104,780 children living in consistent poverty, up 45,000 in a year. There are 225,000 children living in families below the poverty line, and 5,014 homeless children in emergency accommodation, up 14% on last year. These are not just statistics; they are real individual children living in real families. Barnardos, the children's charity, has confirmed that homelessness is damaging childhoods right across the country. The real scandal is that the Government is trying to massage these figures and normalise this outrageous situation. This is a very wealthy country, at the last count the eighth richest in the world. These children can be taken out of poverty and homelessness. We have the money and the resources. The Government has a choice in the coming budget to take children out of poverty and homelessness, or to continue to support corporate landlords, vulture funds and the golden circle of the rich and powerful in our society.

Evictions lead directly to homelessness, in particular to children being homeless. We must stop evicting children into homelessness. No-fault evictions must be banned immediately.

The tenant in situ scheme must also be funded properly. Not a single house has been purchased in Tipperary this year, because this scheme has been completely vandalised by the Government. Households, especially those with children, are under huge pressure from the cost-of-living crisis. Food price inflation was up again by 5% in the month of August. In recent years, an additional €3,000 per year has been heaped on the grocery bills of families. Energy prices are among the highest in Europe. Recently, a whole host of energy companies announced huge increases. SSE Airtricity is up by 9.5%, an extra €150 a year. Bord Gáis Energy's electricity is up by 13.5% or €218 per year. Pinergy is up by 9.3% or €199 a year. Energia is up by 12.1% or €200 per year. Flogas electricity is up 7%, an extra €126 a year. The cost-of-living crisis will push more and more families into poverty. Significant energy credits, totalling at least €500, must be introduced in the coming budget. There must be a new child income support payment to address the shocking rise in child poverty.

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