Kenny : Costs have to be driven down

The Taoiseach says costs will have to be driven down to ensure a better standard of living for those on social welfare or in receipt of the minimum wage.

Enda Kenny was reacting to a new study - part funded by the Department of Social Protection - which found that families in those income brackets don't have enough money to get by, and run the risk of living in poverty.

The report found that families with either teenagers or young babies were particularly at risk.

But the Taoiseach told Midlands 103 that it's not simply a case of increasing payments to those at risk:

"What you need to be able to do is give people the best standard of living that you can give them and that means you got to change structures in a way that everybody can benefit from the plans to develop our economy. It’s not easy in the challenging time ahead".