Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

No reference to the shocking figure of 5,000 children in homelessness. No reference to the proposal to introduce a second tier of child benefit, which is a really meaningful way in which we could have tackled child poverty. As Deputy Sherlock said, this could have been the game-changer for children and child poverty. Instead, the Government has chosen to give over €600 million in a giveaway - a whopper of a giveaway - for big fast-food chains and big business in the hospitality sector.

That is a choice the Government made. The Labour Party, uniquely, in our manifesto last year, did not make that choice. We stood against that sort of crazy VAT cut. We did not stand for narrowing the tax base. We stand for decent public services and tackling child poverty and homelessness.

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