Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely agree that it is not the answer. Nobody is ever going to refuse an increase in a payment directly into a household. It has been shown right across the European Union that we have the best outcomes from the social transfers system that we have employed and engaged with for scores of years.

It is not just about giving extra money. It is also about making sure we improve the outcomes from our educational system and that we support children in that, and that we improve the health services and the accommodation provided to the children. It involves myriad supports and wraparound services that have to be the responsibility of a number of Departments down to the likes of the Department of the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, providing local playgrounds for the children to play in, the Department of Health implementing its Healthy Ireland policy to make sure the children get as much exercise as required, and the parents ensuring their children do not sit in front of screens, which is incumbent on all of us. It involves myriad responsibilities under many Departments and society to ensure that children are not living in consistent poverty. I intend to make sure that our Department plays its part in reaching those targets.

I take on board Senator Ardagh's suggestion with regard to the income disregard and the fuel allowance. I hope she will appreciate that given that we are at such sensitive stages in our negotiations for this year's budget, it would be unwise for me to give any indication on that. The same goes for the following suggestion the Senator made. The anomaly introduced during the 2012 rate band changes and arising from the cuts, particularly in the legislation by the then Government, has been fixed.