Kenny criticises Ahern for rejecting poverty figures

The Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny today criticised the Taoiseach for denying that 300,000 children in the State were currently living in poverty.

During leader's questions in the Dáil, today Mr Kenny accused the Taoiseach of "castigating official figures" on poverty,

This follows Mr Ahern's rejection of an assertion by the Society of St Vincent de Paul at the weekend that the families of 300,000 children lived on less than €175 a week.

He said: "The official figures of what people actually get in money terms do not show that."

Today Mr Kenny said the figure of 300,000 was contained in the Government's own Combat Poverty Agency's pre-budget submission.

Mr Ahern rejected the assertion that he "castigated" figures quoted by the Society of St Vincent de Paul, saying that he personally and his Government was a strong supporter of society.

He agreed that there is a number of children living at risk from poverty but insisted that the true level of poverty, as measured by the consistent poverty definition, was 6.5 per cent which accounted for around 74,000 children.

Yesterday, the director of the Combat Poverty agency said the Taoiseach was wrong to deny that 300,000 children were living in families with incomes of less than €175 a week.

Ms Helen Johnston said that according to the Government's own figures, some 23.4 per cent of Irish children, or about 300,000, were living in families on less than €156 a week.