Seanad debates

Thursday, 23 March 2006

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages.

 

12:00 pm

Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)

If I had one wish for my time in this Department it would be for child poverty to disappear. There are many other priorities but that would be the one I would pick. In 21st century Ireland it is totally unacceptable that any child should live in poverty and a decent country like ours should not tolerate it a day longer. I feel strongly about it because the brashness of these days gives one to believe there are no children living in poverty, whereas the sad reality is there are. The 2004 official figure for child poverty, meaning children aged under 16, was 9%. We have made substantial moves in 2005 and 2006 so I suspect the figure has significantly reduced. The figure for people technically living in poverty in the population as a whole is 6%. I say "technically" because the figures derive from formulas and can be crude.

I will put forward some examples of the measures we have introduced. The family income supplement, which we have advertised recently, provides a major support for low income families. Child poverty exists above all in lone parent families, followed by households where both parents are unemployed. Significantly, child poverty also exists in low income families, where a parent has earnings. The family income supplement applies to these cases. One, possibly extreme, example involves a family with four children, two aged under six, on an income of €20,000. Although that is above the minimum wage it constitutes a low income when mortgage and bills are taken into account. That family can claim €2,000 for child care, because of the two children aged under six, child benefit of €8,000 and family income supplement of a further €7,977. It can also claim a back-to-school allowance of €480. The figures are not always spelled out so I wish to put on record that such a family can get €18,000 in welfare on top of income of €20,000, bringing its total income up to €38,000.

Most of these provisions were made in the past two budgets and constitute a direct assault on child poverty. If it was not for the fact that such houeholds include four children the sums would not add up and those in question would not receive such funds. I will give one final example before concluding.

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