Govt 'not doing enough to fight child poverty'
Groups working with the poor and disadvantaged have accused the Government of doing little to address child poverty in Ireland.
A number of organisations, including St Vincent de Paul, the National Youth Council, the Children Rights Alliance and Focus Ireland, are due to tell the Oireachtas committee on social and family affairs today about ongoing high levels of child poverty in Ireland.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Focus Ireland spokesman Daithi Downey said the Government was failing to make a realistic effort to tackle the problem through budgetary measures.
"The child income support commitments that the Government made haven't been followed through on, in particular in the area of child benefit," he said.
"Most critically for those low-income families who are also on welfare, the increase that was argued for in child dependent allowance rates hasn't been seen as well."
