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children waiting at the front door for food. That is a very sad reflection on society today. Many people living in food poverty are living in remote rural areas and can quite easily go unnoticed. Every day, there are thousands of meals delivered. This is an issue that … difficult a situation might be. I call on the Government and the Minister to do everything humanely possible to rid our country of food poverty and homelessness

support disadvantaged groups and people such as the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities and our Traveller community, or addressing issues such as food poverty or environmental matters. I had the privilege of being with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, at the Dublin city social … public watching and listening will be familiar with social enterprises that work in our communities such as FoodCloud, which redistributes surplus food from supermarkets to those who need it. To see what it does at first hand is extraordinary. I could also mention Rehab Recycling, which employs people

first half of 2026 and will, for the first time, have a specific focus on child poverty. Our commitment to reducing child poverty is reflected in investment in concrete support to the families and children who are most in need. The last two budgets, those … will go through it in detail. That is a €320 million investment on the part of the Government to address child food poverty in particular. Those glitches cannot be allowed to hide a very important programme. We delivered a holiday meals pilot project this summer, which provided meals

such as the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, migrants, the Traveller community and former offenders. They can address societal issues, such as food poverty, housing provision and the environment. With this policy, Ireland has taken a bold step. However, it will only be a bold step

Government intends to spend over €630 million a year to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) on food and catering hospitality, while the number of children living in consistent poverty and homelessness continues to increase; and — the reduction in VAT: — will be of most benefit to those businesses with … that would help to support many working families who are struggling to keep the lights on and food on the table. We need a radical reset to address child poverty and homelessness. We need a policy reset that lifts households out of poverty and provides a basic standard

Over 225,000 children live below the poverty line in this country. How are families meant to get out of poverty in Ireland in 2025? Food is getting more and more expensive. Food is not an optional extra. It is an everyday basic need. People are working

Government is planning to hand over €675 million in unnecessary VAT cuts to hotels, restaurants and fast food chains when one in five children is living in poverty. Employment in hospitality is up 6.6% this year. There are 13,200 more people working in the sector than there … Government any time he wants. Can a parent struggling to put food on the table for their family do that? Can a child who is going to bed hungry? No. The Government has already worsened child poverty by delaying a living wage for low-paid workers by three

accounted for. How can this Government justify spending over €630 million a year to reduce VAT on food and catering hospitality while the number of children living in consistent poverty and homelessness continues to increase? This reduction in VAT will benefit those businesses with the highest of turnovers … between rent and food. It means investing in wraparound services, mental health, education and healthcare, all of which lifts children out of crisis and into possibility. It also means listening to the parents who feel forgotten, the teachers who see daily the effects of poverty, and the children

pressure. There are 5,000 children are homeless and that one in five children is growing up in constant poverty. That will be the legacy of this Government. Food prices are up, energy prices are up, childcare fees are up and college fees are up. Rents, when … constituency told me that the one small treat she had was bringing her kids out at the weekend. That is gone because her food bill has shot up by 20%. That is the reality we are living in. The gap between those who have and have

only the tip of the iceberg and what the official figures are telling us. One in five children is living below the poverty line once housing costs are counted and 250,000 children in this State are in enforced deprivation. This is a State that has recorded unprecedented … school spaces, school building delays, unaffordable childcare and school transport chaos. Families are turning to food banks while parents skip meals so children can eat. The ESRI has shown today that child poverty is at crash-era levels. Barnardos has shown that almost half of families are cutting

grocery stores, by food outlets, by gas and electricity companies, and by our own State company, the ESB. Profit gouging is happening in so many areas. Who is paying for it? It is ordinary households. This is why we have seen child poverty rates double when we have … This is a massive increase for families who are facing back-to-school costs, massive food inflation and skyrocketing rents. Where does it end? One in five children are at risk of poverty after their families pay the housing costs, be it rent or a mortgage. This will

five children, or more than 225,000, lives in a family below the poverty line when housing costs are accounted for. The cost-of-living crisis is deepening, with annualised food price inflation in August up by 5%, and for the first time in the history … ESRI, the Children's Rights Alliance or any of the other bodies and agencies that are ringing the alarm bells on child poverty? The number of children in consistent poverty rose by 78% in the last year. This amounts to over 100,000 children trapped in poverty, with

price gouging, which has taken root, and greedflation, with soaring food prices in particular. Energy and housing bills are among the highest in Europe. The impact on children is immense. One fifth of children now live in poverty. That is 225,000 children. There are long-term impacts

That is 506,000 people over five years. We have a strong and resilient economy and the most effective intervention in terms of poverty or living standards is work and jobs. I argue that the policies we have advocated here are advantageous to the enterprise economy … acknowledge, however, that prices are elevated. Food inflation is higher, at about 5%. I appreciate the Deputy's focus on targeting because we do intend to target in the budget. We do intend to prioritise the issue of child poverty and those most in need and under considerable

Government a massive pat on the back, given what we see every day of the week. He told us that tackling child poverty and homelessness was not merely a matter of policy but a national imperative rooted in our values as a society. The absolute neck … cannot afford to manage with their kids. It is heartbreaking when they tell us that, after they have paid the rent, for food, the exorbitant crèche fees and the fees for devices in schools because the free book scheme does not take account of them, and in many

respect of food and catering alone, that would be €630 million. For the entire hospitality sector, it would be closer to €800 million. That is a sum that we in Labour believe would be better spent on alleviating child poverty and tackling child homelessness. That is what

homelessness. We have the money and the resources. The Government has a choice in the coming budget to take children out of poverty and homelessness, or to continue to support corporate landlords, vulture funds and the golden circle of the rich and powerful in our society. Evictions lead … scheme has been completely vandalised by the Government. Households, especially those with children, are under huge pressure from the cost-of-living crisis. Food price inflation was up again by 5% in the month of August. In recent years, an additional €3,000 per year has been heaped

State is generating hundreds of millions of euro through a ridiculous carbon tax that I opposed and is damning people to energy poverty only to then redirect the tax revenue back to them through the welfare system. That is like some Alice-in-Wonderland version of the circular … which is rocketing, that this is having an impact on; it is also one of the core contributors to the rising cost of food. Just recently, the CSO released figures from Eurostat that put Ireland’s food price inflation at three times the headline rate, with food prices

decide that it can take the money from them at a time of a cost-of-living crisis is outrageous. In-work poverty remains a serious problem in this State and the Government’s policy significantly contributes to this. There is an unacceptable risk that this auto-enrolment … disadvantage, including in my constituency of County Clare. People are working hard but are still struggling to pay their bills. Rents and mortgages, food and fuel prices and the cost of everything else are increasing constantly. In late summer, there are extra expenses relating to back-to-school

raising the issue of increased food costs. However, some households are worse off to the tune of €3,000 per year on food costs alone. If we look at beef, there was a 23% increase in beef prices in four months earlier this year. We are not talking … lasagna, spaghetti bolognese and shepherd's pie, meals and staples that should last a couple of days. Ordinary families are being priced into poverty. Workers are being priced into poverty by this Government's inaction. Rents remain too high. Not too long ago this Government asked

costs during a cost-of-living crisis. That is having an effect on people. Hundreds of thousands of people are living in poverty in this country. One quarter of all domestic gas users are in arrears, which equates to 180,000 families. Some 300,000 people … Actually, there was €700 million made in profit last year. Incredibly, during Storm Éowyn, when people were begging the Government for food and trying to get energy infrastructure back up and running to get their houses reconnected, the ESB’s suggestion was that they should

regrettable that Ireland, one of the richest countries in the world, has seen a significant rise in children living in consistent poverty. According to the Children's Rights Alliance, one in 12 children, or more than 100,000, is in this situation. Obviously, inflation has risen. There … invest more in the likes of breakfast clubs. I welcome the school meals initiative. I have issues with the quality of the food on offer, but that is a separate matter. I want to focus mainly on vulnerable groups like lone parents and people with disabilities. I want