Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

The purpose of the Bill is to protect the changes made in the past five years. It consolidates the excellent work done in that time. Many of the social partners admit this. It is frustrating to hear people bandy about figures regarding poverty and confuse consistent poverty with relative poverty. If one of the Smurfit family moves in next door, one's relative poverty rating will shoot through the roof. The figures speak for themselves. Consistent poverty has more than halved.