Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 5, before section 1, to insert the following new section:

"1.—The Minister for Social and Family Affairs shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the introduction of a second-tier, employment-neutral, child income support payments to target child poverty levels.".

This amendment asks that a report on the introduction of second-tier, employment-neutral, child income support payments to target child poverty levels be laid before the House. I accept that much has been done to combat child poverty. Unfortunately, children from low-income families still live in poverty. We need to do more, despite the good work done by the Minister in targeting low-income families.

We need to introduce the special second-tier payment for families on very low incomes. As I said earlier, I do not believe any taxpayer would object to ensuring that children do not go to bed without food in their stomachs or go to school without a breakfast. The latter issue was raised here this morning. It appears it is not just children from poor families who go to school without a breakfast, but this is another issue that probably concerns parenting. Some children go to school without a breakfast, go to bed hungry and do not get a new school coat or pair of shoes when they are needed. These are the families we need to target with this second-tier payment.

I accept the new qualified child allowance has been established to target the poorest children. I would like to hear the Minister's comments about the introduction of this second-tier payment, which has been discussed for some time at the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs and in this House.