Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I join Senator Susan O'Keeffe in calling for a debate on the issues raised in last night's BBC television programme which were shocking in the extreme. As a Catholic, it is incumbent on the Catholic Church and the institutions of the State, including the Houses of the Oireachtas, to ensure appropriate action is taken. How many more revelations are to be made? How much more do we not know? Do we depend on the BBC, RTE and investigative journalists, such as the Senator in her day, to uncover these issues? The Catholic Church, in the interests of its own people - I being one of those - must clarify the position and ensure all action is being taken, that appropriate comment is given to the issues as seen last night. There are many reasons for failure but there are no excuses. People from all religions and none were united in shock at the revelations last night. Some of the commentary this morning would not inspire confidence.

On another issue I seek a debate on poverty in Ireland. Yesterday the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service launched an on-line calculator, after 13 years of research, to help determine the precise level of income required by a household to eat, clothe and pay important bills. The issue has been raised previously in the context of mortgage arrears and it has been suggested that we identify an amount of money which must be protected for families and may not be drawn upon for the payment of debt and other bills. Some years have passed and yet no decisive action has been taken on the issue of mortgage arrears. Families are still suffering. The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service revealed yesterday that some families have to live on as little as €15 per week for groceries. Collectively, we are failing on a weekly basis to provide for the protection of basic levels of income for these people. It would be useful for the Civil Service and Departments to use the calculator to help determine the effects of any proposed reductions or increases on social welfare rates. We could usefully debate these matters.