Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to facilitate us in bringing the Minister for Social and Family Affairs into the House to provide us with an opportunity to voice our concerns about the growing plight of poorer people — those people who are either on low income or are trying to survive on welfare benefits. In recent days we heard calls from the Combat Poverty Agency regarding 200,000 children who should receive hot meals every day in schools. Currently, 50,000 children are in receipt of hot school meals. The Combat Poverty Agency is concerned that 200,000 children of poor families should receive hot meals every day in schools. We should facilitate that in schools.

The Combat Poverty Agency also highlights the increasing number of families who will be cold this winter because they cannot afford the rising cost of fuel. The benefits they receive will not meet the present costs. There are many issues we need to debate before the budget to see what we can do to help the poorer members of our community.