asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that according to an official report there are 215,000 Irish children without sufficient food, adequate accommodation and sufficient warm clothing; and if he will state the steps he proposes to take to end this situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Combating Poverty.
13.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to Mr. Séamus Ó Cinnéide's 1971 study of the Extent of Poverty in Ireland in the course of which he refers to 215,000 children of social security recipients who are wholly or partly dependent on social security payments. As the Deputy is aware, the Government are committed to the improvement of all social security benefits and these recipients and their children have benefitted considerably through the implementation of this commitment by the rate increases and other improvements introduced in the course of the 1973 and 1974 budgets. Thus, the rates of children's allowance were increased in 1973 by £1.50 per month in respect of each qualified child, the age limit was extended for certain categories and a further increase of 30p per month for each child was made in 1974. Prior to these increases, the last previous increase in children's allowances had been the 1970 increase which amounted to only 25p for the third and each subsequent child. Apart from the children's allowance scheme which applies to all families in the country, payments in respect of child dependants in all social insurance and assistance schemes were also increased in 1973 and 1974, and the cheap butter scheme introduced in 1973 for all social assistance recipients contributed to the welfare of their children. As to the future, the Deputy may rest assured that the Government will continue to press on with their programme of social reform in which measures for the protection of children and of the poor and disadvantaged will be given priority.
We must regard it as being an indictment of our society that so many children are in this category. The Parliamentary Secretary has told us what the figure was almost two years ago. I expect it is higher now, perhaps it has doubled since then. When there is mention of payments made by the Government——
May we have a question, Deputy?
How would that influence their getting accommodation? If we take the example of our city, if there were large families——
The Deputy is engaging in an argument.
I do not think an increase in the children's allowances would influence a local authority in providing accommodation for small families. The answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary misses the point.
The Deputy is continuing to make a speech.
As I hope the House will appreciate, I dealt with the aspect that was relevant to my Department. With regard to housing, the Minister for Local Government has made substantial progress in this area although we are aware that much needs to be done. With regard to the accuracy of the figure, as I pointed out when this figure was quoted in the newspapers as a result of a speech I made, it was regrettable I could not give any precise, accurate figure because of the lack of research and statistics in this area which had been criminally neglected in the previous years.
The Parliamentary Secretary should change the record.
I am calling Question No. 14.
14.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the advisory committee on pilot schemes to combat poverty will issue a report.
The committee referred to by the Deputy were established by me last May to devise and implement a programme of pilot schemes to combat poverty, which, it is intended, will form part of the Social Action Programme of the EEC. The work of the committee is, therefore, of an ongoing nature and is not geared towards the preparation of a report of its ultimate objective.
I have recently received a report from the committee in which details of the progress they have made to date are set out. This report indicates that the committee have so far: appointed a director; appointed a research consultant; made arrangements with the Economic and Social Research Institute for the carrying out of a research project relating to social indicators; participated in activities relating to the EEC dimension of the committee's work; prepared a document setting out the criteria the committee will use in considering specific proposals for pilot schemes; and have been studying projects of a similar or related nature both here and in other countries.
A detailed statement of progress made under each of these headings was released by the committee at a Press conference on Wednesday, 9th October, 1974.