88. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to a report on child poverty (details supplied); his plans to address the rising number of children living in consistent poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33108/25]

Sentiment score: -0.25

I would like to ask the Minister for his response to the recently published child poverty monitor report and his plans to address the rising number of children living in consistent poverty. The findings of that report make for very grim reading and should focus the minds of the Government on a major change in policymaking.

Sentiment score: -0.60

The stark and ever-worsening reality of child poverty is laid bare in the child poverty monitor and wider research. The Children's Rights Alliance has issued a stark warning that unless ambitious action is taken by the Government it will take Ireland four to five generations to break the cycle of poverty. The report found that the number of children living in consistent poverty rose by a staggering 45,107 in 2024 to almost 103,000 children. This reflects immense damage being inflicted on young lives with the potential to cause harm into adulthood. We know that adversity chain reacts across the lifespan. This is not inevitable. It is not a natural disaster. It has come about through political decision-making. It is a scandalous indictment of successive Governments that our State coffers are overflowing, but at the same time we see child poverty soaring.

Sentiment score: -0.36

I acknowledge the supports the Minister mentioned, but we have not seen sufficiently ambitious targeted measures and strategic investment in recent budgets designed to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. It is critical, therefore, that there is a focus in budget 2026 on breaking that cycle. The cumulative impact of continued rising costs of living has created a landslide effect for low-income families such that the very basics, such as nutritious food and keeping their homes warm, become increasingly difficult to achieve. We need to see a major scaling up of the Equal Start programme and an extension of DEIS Plus to address disadvantage at the early stage. We must also benchmark our social protection system to the cost of a minimum essential standard of living to ensure that everyone has enough to sustain a decent quality of life. All future budgets must be poverty-proofed and set against the targets of the anti-poverty strategy. At a very basic level, we need a radical change in housing policy. One in four children lives in conditions of overcrowding and more than 4,700 children are living in emergency accommodation. This will require ideological change from the Minister and the Government. Not embracing that change will cause untold damage.

Sentiment score: -0.19