Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I echo the concerns expressed by my colleague Senator Sean Barrett on the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions report on poverty in Ireland. I refer in particular to the finding that one in eight children now live in poverty.

We are pulling ourselves out of recession and there is hope on the horizon. Yesterday, it took me more than one hour to get home but there are some prices to be paid for the improvement in the economy. However, one quarter of our population are not able to afford to heat their homes and the deprivation rates are higher than they have been since 2008. I would like a debate with the Minister for Social Protection on poverty and our priorities for addressing it.

I refer to quantitative easing. Before we get all excited, we must remember that no firm deal has been done yet, in particular around how the risk is to be spread. There is a difference of opinion between Germany, for the sake of argument, and Ireland and Italy as to how this will play out in terms of risk-sharing. We are back to some of the debate happening in the banking inquiry as to where we are going in Europe in terms of burdens and risks and who will take them.

In that context, I have concerns not only about the whole issue of quantitative easing, because I sure some deal will be struck at the end of the day, whether it is €50 billion on monthly basis, a round figure of €1 trillion or whatever it happens to be, but the bottom line is that Europe, in spite of devaluation, of low oil rates and of a euro that is effectively at parity with the dollar, has not been able to pull itself out of recession. I ask the Leader for a debate on this issue. One of the biggest pieces of evidence of that is in terms of the Europe 2020 Project, in particular around the poverty figures in Europe. More people are experiencing poverty in the European Union now than when the Europe 2020 strategy began. I would like a debate on the whole issue of Europe, in particular looking at the Latvian Presidency and its priorities and on the wider issues, not just of quantitative easing but of the wider European programme and the whole issue of solidarity among European countries.