To mark the 100th anniversary of the democratic programme of the First Dáil, the Children's Rights Alliance is running a campaign to ensure that the values of that important programme are upheld, No Child 2020. The idea is that no child be left behind.

We do not have to tolerate the extent of child poverty that exists in our country. One in 11 children is living in conditions of consistent poverty according to the Central Statistics Office, CSO. When the former leader of the Labour Party, Tom Johnson, drafted the original Democratic Programme, his vision was of a new role for the State to meet the basic needs of working people, the majority of whom lived in appalling poverty in 1919. The Democratic Programme gave special mention to children, saying that it was the first duty of Government to make provision for their well-being, paramount among the provisions made by the State of the means and facilities for children’s education and training. The Democratic Programme also called on the State to ensure that no child wanted for shelter, clothing or food. The document also highlighted the importance of healthcare and the participation of children in a free Ireland.

The Children’s Rights Alliance has taken just five basic issues for today that it believes could be quickly and realistically addressed to make a significant gesture to honour the centenary of the Democratic Programme and address the real issue of reducing child poverty. Those five asks are that every child has a hot nutritious meal every day; has access to affordable and quality healthcare; has access to free education; can participate in arts and culture in his or her community; and lives in affordable and quality housing. Does the Government endorse these five basic issues as the minimum that the House can set as an objective to achieve for every child in the State on the centenary of the First Dáil? What specific actions does it propose to put in place to ensure that we honour the centenary of the First Dáil by fulfilling these wishes for children?

The Deputy raised a broad range of issues. Regardless of whether it is the centenary of the First Dáil, we should be looking after our children. The requirement to do that is a big priority in the Constitution. If a country cannot look after its most vulnerable and its children, it has to ask itself some straight questions. We have areas where we have made huge progress. Even during the recession, Governments continued to prioritise expenditure in education. We will continue to do that and we will improve the quality of education and the resources that are available to teachers. Hot meal programmes in schools, particularly DEIS schools in areas where income may be challenging for families, are also important. On the arts, for example, I am sitting next to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, who has responsibility for Creative Ireland, the new arts policy, which has a children's element to it.

Housing is perhaps the most challenging area of domestic policy for this Government. We have far too many children in emergency accommodation. The Government is determined to change this because it is not acceptable to have families and children in emergency accommodation for long periods or at all. That is why we are spending so much money and time on a social housing building programme. We will assist over 27,000 individuals and families this year with their social housing needs. Clearly, there is still more to be done to get on top of that issue.

I agree with the Deputy on all the principles he has outlined but, as he knows because he has been in government, the practical response, cost, policy changes and legislative protections are what are required from Government to make these things a reality. In many of these areas, Ireland is an international example of how to get things done but we still have work to do in some areas, particularly with the housing challenges, which are a hangover from a deep recession that was driven by a collapse in the property industry.

As the Tánaiste knows, the Children’s Rights Alliance is a broad amalgamation of organisations and bodies which are interested in the welfare of children. It has looked at all the issues that face children in this State and asked for just five focused aims to be achieved. I am asking the Tánaiste if we can just address these five items as a priority in this House? Can we set ourselves the target of doing these five things for children? I grant that some of them are easier than others. Access to the arts is very important and the passport for the arts for children who, in many instances, can never avail of the arts and which is in place in other European countries can be emulated here. That is not a big ask. There are more difficult matters, including ensuring that every child has affordable and quality housing. That is a bigger ask. If we set ourselves the task of addressing all of these issues, we could do so. It would be a fitting memorial to ensuring that, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our first free Parliament, we do so representing the values of those who sat here 100 years ago. Will the Tánaiste agree to commit the Government to look at these five issues and to see, on a cross-party basis, how far we can advance them all before the end of this year?

These are important areas and the Government is committed to all of them. Nutrition and a hot meal every day is the first matter. On access to healthcare, we know there are some challenges but we are investing heavily in overcoming those obstacles. Huge progress continues to be made in education and the arts. On the difficult issue of housing, we had a five-year housing plan, which was very ambitious when it was launched, and it is now delivering. It is not where it needs to be yet but we are getting there. I assure the Deputy that the concerns that have been outlined by the Children's Rights Alliance on housing for children and families is a big priority for the Government.

Another area where we need to protect children is against online exposure, which we talked about earlier, and that will be a big priority for us too. These five areas are all central to the way in which the Government needs to respond to the interests of children but there are other areas which we also need to pursue.