I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion on child poverty and homelessness. On Wednesday, 24 September, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.
Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Mark Wall on Wednesday, 24 September 2025:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— the number of children in consistent poverty nearly doubled in 2024 to 8.5 per cent, rising by over 45,000 in one year to 104,780, up from 4.7 per cent in 2023;
— the research by Economic and Social Research Institute shows one in five children, over 225,000, live in families 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 per cent;
— Ireland already has some of the most expensive energy costs in the world, and suppliers are now increasing their rates by over 12 per cent for the winter ahead;
— over 300,000 households are in arrears on electricity bills, and nearly 175,000 in gas arrears, while the moratorium on disconnections only covers the Christmas period;
— there were 5,014 homeless children in emergency accommodation at the end of July, an increase of 14 per cent in a year;
— the reduced funding available for the Tenant in-Situ Scheme is not enough to meet demand, and local authorities do not have sufficient resourcing for the purchase and repurposing of vacant and derelict properties; and
— the School Meals Scheme has been rolled out across primary schools, but remains unavailable to far too many children in schools not signed up to the scheme;
recognises that:
— budgets are about choices, and regrets that the 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 the highest turnover;
— will not be passed on to customers;
— will not be reflected in better pay and conditions for workers; and
— will not address the underlying issues facing the hospitality sector; and
calls for in Budget 2026:
— the €630 million cost of an untargeted VAT reduction, instead be committed to measures to relieve child poverty and homelessness, the improvement of public services, and reduction in waiting lists for disability and health services;
— the urgent implementation of a targeted rate of child benefit, a new child income support payment - to address the shocking rise in child poverty;
— a ban on the eviction of children into homelessness, and legislation to prioritise the housing needs of homeless families;
— the removal of the restrictions introduced in March 2025 on the Tenant in-Situ Scheme so it is demand led, and the resourcing of local authorities to tackle the scourge of vacancy and dereliction; and
— the introduction of targeted energy payments, an extension of the moratorium on disconnections, an increase to the Fuel Allowance payment and widened eligibility to include those on the Working Family Payment.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— reducing child poverty and ensuring every child has the best start in life are key priorities for this Government and will be a core focus of Budget 2026;
— the Government has prioritised the reduction of child poverty through the establishment of the dedicated Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office, ensuring cross-departmental coordination to address the root causes of poverty affecting children and families;
— the increases in child poverty rates, as reported in March 2025 by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2024, are disappointing, until the release of this data, child consistent poverty in Ireland had been on a downward trend, peaking in 2013 at 12.7 per cent and falling to its lowest level in 2023 at 4.8 per cent;
— the CSO data is based on 2023 income data, and therefore does not reflect the Government's full response to the cost of living that were contained in Budget 2024 and Budget 2025;
— overall, the last two budgets each contained the largest social welfare packages in the history of the State and combined, invested €4.9 billion in communities across the country;
— this included, unprecedented increases in core social welfare rates, the largest ever increase in the Child Support Payment, an increase in the Working Family Payment, and increasing the number of people who are eligible for the Fuel Allowance;
— none of these increases are included in the latest CSO data, nor has the Government's significant investment in non-income supports for children and families during this time, such as the significant expansion of School Meals Scheme and free schoolbooks;
— the School Meals Scheme has now been expanded to enable the roll-out to all primary schools, with 3,200 schools and 550,000 children now eligible;
— in addition, over 23,000 children are availing of cold lunches, while a Holiday Meals pilot project took place this summer with 914 schools providing meals to 68,000 children;
— the Government has expanded the roll-out of free schoolbooks for all children in primary education, and more recently this has been expanded to Junior Cycle;
— the Government have announced a new Child Poverty Target of 3 per cent or less, of consistent poverty, to be achieved by the end of 2030;
— meeting this Child Poverty Target will require sustained investment over the lifetime of this Government and beyond;
— the Government is investing almost €6.8 billion in 2025 to support the delivery of social, affordable and Cost Rental homes, housing supply has increased significantly with almost 32,800 social homes delivered between 2022 to 2024;
— Budget 2025 provided an allocation of €303 million for the delivery of homeless services, an increase of €61 million or 25 per cent on the 2024 Budget allocation, in addition, €25 million in capital funding is supporting the delivery of high quality transitional and emergency accommodation for individuals experiencing homelessness;
— the Government recently announced that an additional €50 million for housing acquisitions will prioritise families in long-term homelessness;
— the Government has committed €325 million to support a second-hand acquisitions programme in 2025, allowing local authorities to target priority categories of housing needs, including families in long-term homelessness;
— the Government approved an extension of the 9 per cent Value Added Tax rate currently applied to gas and electricity to October 2025, at an estimated cost of €85 million; and
— a cross Government National Energy Affordability Taskforce has been established to identify, assess, and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability; and
acknowledges that:
— the Government is committed to further progress, building on the initiatives already introduced, targeting those most at risk, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a fairer and more inclusive society; and
— the Government will utilise Budget 2026 and future budgets, to prioritise measures aimed at tackling child poverty and reducing homelessness.".
- (Minister for Social Protection)
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 77; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Clendennen, John.
- Collins, Niall.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Foley, Norma.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Roche, Peter.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Daly, Pa.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGettigan, Donna.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Charles.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Ged Nash and Mark Wall.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 77; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Aird, William.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Boland, Grace.
- Brabazon, Tom.
- Brennan, Shay.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Burke, Colm.
- Burke, Peter.
- Butler, Mary.
- Butterly, Paula.
- Buttimer, Jerry.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Michael.
- Callaghan, Catherine.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
- Clendennen, John.
- Collins, Niall.
- Connolly, John.
- Cooney, Joe.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Martin.
- Dempsey, Aisling.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dolan, Albert.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fleming, Seán.
- Foley, Norma.
- Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
- Geoghegan, James.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Keogh, Keira.
- Lahart, John.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McCarthy, Noel.
- McCormack, Tony.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Séamus.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Moynihan, Shane.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Murphy, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Maeve.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Meara, Ryan.
- O'Shea, John Paul.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
- Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
- Ó Muirí, Naoise.
- Roche, Peter.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Timmins, Edward.
- Toole, Gillian.
- Troy, Robert.
- Ward, Barry.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bennett, Cathy.
- Brady, John.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Cummins, Jen.
- Daly, Pa.
- Devine, Máire.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrelly, Aidan.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gibney, Sinéad.
- Graves, Ann.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Hayes, Eoin.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Hearne, Rory.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Eoghan.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Lawless, Paul.
- Lawlor, George.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGettigan, Donna.
- McGuinness, Conor D.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Mythen, Johnny.
- Nash, Ged.
- Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
- Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donoghue, Robert.
- O'Hara, Louis.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
- Quaide, Liam.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rice, Pádraig.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Wall, Mark.
- Ward, Charles.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Ged Nash and Mark Wall.
Question declared carried.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 7.30 p.m. go dtí 8.47 a.m., Déardaoin, an 25 Meán Fómhair 2025.
The Dáil adjourned at 7.30 p.m. until 8.47 a.m. on Thursday, 25 September 2025.