There is hardly a greater avoidable tragedy in Irish society than child poverty. It destroys and limits lives. It affects everything, including emotional development, educational attainment, mental health, physical well-being, career opportunities and income in later life. Poverty does not just contribute to bad outcomes. It has a direct and negative causal impact on children, particularly when it starts early in childhood and persists throughout. It does not only have a human cost in scarred and damaged lives but also has a financial cost for the State. It has been estimated that child poverty costs the State approximately €20 billion every year. Therefore, not only is it in children's interest to end it but it is in the State's selfish interest to abolish it. The Taoiseach said that ending child poverty is a core ambition for the Government. I hope that ambition will be reflected in the budget next week. Will the Government substantially increase targeted payments to vulnerable children, introduce a DEIS-plus programme for preschools in the most disadvantaged areas and increase core social welfare rates by €25 per week?

Child poverty and well-being will certainly be a theme in the budget when it is announced on Tuesday. If we go back to 2013 and the aftermath of the great recession, approximately 13% of children experienced consistent poverty, the worst form of poverty. That had fallen to approximately 5% by 2021. It has gone up again slightly because of the cost-of-living crisis. We are determined to bring it back down again. I cannot obviously make any commitments on what is or is not in the budget until it is agreed and presented to Cabinet on Tuesday.