Desmond J. O'Malley
Question:26 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to resource and staff the Combat Poverty Agency to enable it to fully carry out its statutory functions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Combat Poverty Agency Funding.
The resources to be provided to the Combat Poverty Agency to carry out its statutory functions are decided in the context of the annual estimates process and the budget. The agency's allocation has increased from some £1 million in 1987 to over £1.6 million in 1994. Under the Combat Poverty Agency Act 1986, the number and kind of employees the agency may engage is subject to the approval of the Minister for Social Welfare, given with the consent of the Minister for Finance. Such approval has now been delegated to me.
The functions of the agency include advising the Minister in relation to policies and programmes of statutory and other bodies in so far as such policies affect poverty issues, promotion of greater public understanding of the nature and causes of poverty, identification of possible new policies to combat poverty and testing these on a pilot basis, dissemination of information on poverty and community development, fostering and assisting voluntary activities to overcome poverty. In its work in the discharge of these functions, the agency assists my Department in the management of the community development programme, funds a number of pilot initiatives to tackle poverty, including providing the Exchequer funding requirement for the projects in the EU Poverty 3 Programme and operates a community development education and training grants scheme.
This year's budget made an additional £132,000 available to the agency to meet increased pay costs and to allow the agency launch a new pilot programme aimed at working with marginalised young people.
The board of the agency has recently sought approval to recruit additional members of staff and this request is currently being examined.