Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy speaking a few days ago pierced people's hearts when she said that 800 children in Ireland were made homeless in the first ten months of the year and that in November, 45 families had lost their homes. Speaking on this issue she said that the Government, if it raised the rent supplement for people who are in danger of being evicted from their homes, would solve the problem overnight. It is very simple to deal with it. I am dealing with an issue near where I live in which the landlord of a woman with four children raised the rent. I will not name the Independent Deputy who, I have been told, advised the woman to leave the home and she would get a house. The woman's emotions and feelings were manipulated by devious means by an Independent Deputy.

All of us who were involved in campaigning in the recent by-election recognise this. Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy has said there is a radical increase in inequality in this country even though unemployment is falling. She also said that a quarter of children in Ireland are living in poverty. It is good that the Minister, Deputy Kelly, is having the conference of all the CEOs and mayors of the local authorities tomorrow. The 1916 Proclamation states that we should treat all of the children equally. I call for a debate on the increase in inequality, the number of children living in poverty and what austerity has done to people on the fringes of our society.