Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 3

Written Answers. - Combat Poverty Agency Pre-Budget Submission.

Ivor Callely

Question:

160 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the measures, if any, he has introduced arising out of the Combat Poverty Agency budget submission entitled Bridging the Divide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10576/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

As I indicated in reply to the Deputy's previous question, No. 200 of 7 February 1995, I found the Combat Poverty Agency's pre-budget submission very useful in considering proposals for the 1995 budget. I also arranged for copies of the submission to be sent to all Government Departments for information and attention in so far as their areas of responsibility are concerned. The Combat Poverty Agency's submission recommmeded that priority emphasis should be (i) on productive measures to enable the long term unemployed to access work and (ii) income transfers which target the poorest sectors, in particular households raising children. The agency submission also called for increased resources to be made available for support for community development and that any increased demands on the Combat Poverty Agency itself would be matched by increased resources.

I detailed the social welfare improvements made in the 1995 budget in my speech to the House on 9 February 1995. Specific measures in the budget which address issues raised by the agency include:

Households with children

An additional £7 per month in child benefit allowance, together with an extension for 18 year olds in full-time education or attending certain FÁS courses; extensions of child dependant allowances up to 22 years of age for those in full-time education; an increase of £5 for each child in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance.

Long-term unemployed

Changes to the PRSI system to benefit both employers and employees and improvements in the back-to-work allowance, which is one of the main elements of my Department's employment support measures designed to assist the long term unemployed access job opportunities; a further extension of the PRSI exemption scheme to include young people under 23 years of age being taken on in a new job as their first employment; an increase from £10 to £25 in the minimum payment of unemployment assistance where board and lodgings are assessed for people living at home and the abolition of board and lodging assessment for those living other than with their parents.

Community development

An additional £3 million for supports to voluntary and community organisations in 1995.

Combat Poverty Agency

A net additional £400,000 of funding for the Combat Poverty Agency to enhance its existing work and allow it to undertake additional pilot anti-poverty programmes.

Finally, the Deputy will note that one of the broader recommendations made by the agency was for the introduction of a social audit system to assess the equity implications of all aspects of Government expenditure. As already announced, the Government has accepted my proposals for a national poverty strategy, which will involve putting in place mechanisms to ensure that the issue of reducing poverty and social exclusion is firmly on the agenda of all Government Departments and agencies, and that there is appropriate co-ordination across and between Departments on policy in this area.