Mark Ward
Question:24. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability will meet next. [16354/24]
View answerCabinet Committees
Questions (24)
Written answers
The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability oversees Programme for Government commitments relating to Children, Education and Disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of disability services.
In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers on an individual basis to focus on different issues.
Disability services are a key focus for Government and this is why I have established this new Cabinet Committee.
The Committee will have a particular focus on the forthcoming new National Disability Strategy which will set out the blueprint for further realisation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The membership of the Cabinet Committee comprises the:
· Taoiseach;
· Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence;
· Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and for Transport;
· Minister for Health;
· Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth;
· Minister for Education;
· Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform;
· Minister for Finance;
· Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development;
· Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and,
· Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, and the Minister of State for Disability will be invited to participate in all of the Cabinet Committee meetings. Other Ministers or Ministers of State will be invited to participate as required.
The first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability took place on Monday, 22nd April. It will meet again on the 13th May.
Questions Nos. 25 to 40, inclusive, resubmitted.
Child Poverty
Questions (41, 42, 43)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:41. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the new unit in his Department to tackle child poverty. [15073/24]
View answerMark Ward
Question:42. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Taoiseach to give an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [16353/24]
View answer
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:43. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach for an update on the child poverty and well-being unit. [16711/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 42 and 43 together.
This Government established the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach in order to make sure we prioritise children, particularly vulnerable children, and to make sure they get a real chance to realise their potential.
From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Well-being 2023-2025 was published last year and is the initial Programme Plan for the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach.
The Programme Plan takes a focused approached on six key areas which have the potential to bring about significant change for children and their families. These are:
1. Income supports and joblessness
2. Early learning and childcare
3. Reducing the cost of education
4. Family homelessness
5. Consolidating and integrating public health, family and parental assistance, and well-being services
6. Enhancing participation in culture, arts and sport for children and young people affected by poverty.
The Programme is intended to be a living and dynamic document. If we need to, we will revisit our priorities to make sure we are focusing on those things that will really make a difference.
The role of the Department of the Taoiseach is to co-ordinate and focus government action. To help facilitate this, the Programme Office has established a Cross-Government Network on Child Poverty and Well-being. Three Network meetings have taken place to date.
The Office will also host an inaugural Child Poverty and Well-being Summit on 23 May 2024 in Dublin Castle.
As well as focusing on implementation of government commitments across the six key areas, the Office is undertaking a small number of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of cross-government responses.
The first of these was a commitment to focusing on children and their families who are experiencing poverty in Budget 2024. The Programme Office applied a cross-government approach, that culminated in the development of the report Breaking the Cycle: New Measures in Budget 2024 to Reduce Child Poverty and Promote Well-being published in November 2023.
The Programme Office is building on this work and will seek to support and deepen the focus on child poverty and well-being in Budget 2025.
I believe we absolutely can transform the lives of children and families, and that we must give every child the best possible start in life. Achieving this is not only the right thing to do for children, but it is also essential for protecting social cohesion, empowering vibrant communities and for securing our long-term economic future.
Questions Nos. 44 to 63, inclusive, resubmitted.
Census of Population
Questions (64)
Leo Varadkar
Question:64. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Taoiseach if the CSO is giving consideration to asking about sexual orientation in the next census, as the United Kingdom does. [19670/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) works hard to ensure that the information collected and provided from the census remains current, relevant and of maximum use to the government and the public.
As part of the preparatory work for the 2027 census, the CSO conducted a public consultation by inviting members of the public and various interest groups to make submissions on the topics to be covered, and on the outputs to be produced. A notice to this effect was published in the national press/social media in November 2022 seeking submissions, and all government departments were contacted for their input.
A Census Advisory Group made up of representatives of government departments, public bodies, the social partners and CSO personnel was then convened and made recommendations on the questions to be tested in a census pilot which will be undertaken in the autumn of 2024. A question on sexual orientation will be included in the pilot test form. The purpose of the pilot is to test new questions, changes to existing questions, and new field methodology, in a selection of areas across the country. For the first time in 2024 an online response option to the census, will be tested.
The expert group will then assess the results of the Pilot and make recommendations on the content of the Census 2027 questionnaire. The final content of the questionnaire will be submitted for government approval in 2025.