Ahern disputes charity’s poverty figures

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has challenged claims by the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) that there are 300,000 children living in families on incomes of less than €175 per week.

Mr Ahern dismissed the figures yesterday claiming that official statistics failed to reflect the true level of income for social welfare recipients.

Launching the charity’s annual “Giving Tree” appeal at the Omni Park shopping centre in Santry, the Taoiseach said the Government provided “significant assistance” to many homes, including double payments at Christmas.