asked the Minister for Social Welfare the steps, if any, which have been taken by him to deal with the fact disclosed by the NESC report that over 100,000 children of the unemployed are living on inadequate incomes.
38.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - NESC Report.
37.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the NESC report which states that of the families with substandard income, 100,000 children are affected.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together.
I take it that what the Deputies are referring to is the paper delivered to a meeting of the Dublin Trades Council by the Director of the National Social Service Council in January last. As I indicated in reply to a question earlier this year about this matter I do not accept that the conclusions drawn in the paper in question are correct.
I might mention that since the delivery of the paper there has been a general increase in the level of social welfare payments and a significant drop in the numbers on the live register.