Michael D. Higgins
Question:13 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to ask the Combat Poverty Agency to commission new research to update their findings on the scale and extent of poverty in Ireland in 1990.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Combat Poverty Agency Research.
As part of the 2nd EC Poverty Programme I arranged for a report on poverty to be prepared by the ESRI. This report was based on a major survey carried out by the Institute and was funded jointly by the Institute, the Combat Poverty Agency and the EC. The report was published in October 1989 and a number of other reports have been made based on the survey's findings.
Arising from that report the Combat Poverty Agency is funding a number of further research projects based on the ESRI survey covering child poverty, take-up of social welfare benefits and income sharing arrangements in households. It is expected that draft reports on the findings of some of these projects will be available this year.
I will also be discussing with the agency its plans for further research in the poverty area in the context of the agency's strategic plan for the period 19901993.
The Minister referred to the work the Combat Poverty Agency are doing in the income sharing area. Does this perhaps explain the on-going delay in the making available of his own report into household budgets?
No. It does not. They have their own difficulties even without that information. That information would, of course, be helpful.
Would it be helpful to the Minister to have theirs.
When they got into it it was an extremely complex issue.