Bertie Ahern
Question:1 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the progress, if any, that has been made in the Interdepartmental Group, chaired by his Department, on the Development of a National Anti-Poverty Strategy. [2966/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Following the UN summit for social development the Government decided that the Interdepartmental Policy Committee on Local Development should draw up the elements of an anti-poverty strategy. The main objective is to enable the consumers of the very extensive services made available to tackle poverty to influence policy. This will improve the effectiveness of the more than £2 billion of public funds devoted annually to tackling poverty.
In order to facilitate the widest possible consultation the interdepartmental policy committee circulated an explanatory leaflet to a wide range of interested organisations and individuals and invited them to make submissions to the committee on poverty issues. In addition an advertisement was placed in national and provincial newspapers in July 1995 inviting submissions. Approximately 600 groups expressed an interest in being consulted and 241 submissions were received. These submissions helped inform the preparation of a discussion paper on poverty, social exclusion and inequality in Ireland and a consultation paper on institutional mechanisms to support the strategy which were published in December. A summary of the submissions made to the committee was also published at that time.
These papers formed the basis for discussions at seminars which were held in Cork, Monaghan, Galway and Dublin and with leading researchers and academics involved in poverty issues in January this year. All those who had made submissions or who had indicated their interest in the process were invited to attend the seminars. More than 500 people attended. The committee is pleased with the high level of response and attendance at the seminars. The national network of community and voluntary groups representing people experiencing poverty and social exclusion has been holding consultations with its members on the documents prepared by the committee and consultations have also taken place with the social partners.
In addition the National Economic and Social Forum considered the documents at its December plenary session and has prepared an opinion on the national anti-poverty strategy which will further inform the deliberations of the committee.
The committee is considering the feedback from the seminars and consultations and in due course will submit for the Government's consideration a statement of the basis on which a national anti-poverty strategy should be developed. It is envisaged that further public consultation will take place as the key elements of the strategy are developed.
It is also envisaged that the anti-poverty strategy to be adopted by the Government will complement the strategic management initiative being developed by Government Departments and agencies.
When does the Taoiseach envisage that work on the final document will be ready for circulation to the Government in the first instance and to this House for debate? Will the Taoiseach give indications of the way the interim document is shaping up in so far as it would influence and direct policy in the period ahead?
We hope to approve the document in June and have discussion on it thereafter in the Dáil. It is probably a little early yet to talk about the shape of the document. Although much consultation has taken place, final consideration has yet to be undertaken and obviously it would be better to await that before giving further details. I stress that this is an approach designed to ensure that those who experience poverty are consulted and their experiences and views are taken into account in the way in which policies are implemented to assist them. There is no doubt that successive Governments have spent considerable sums of money on proposals of various kinds, the intention of which was to alleviate poverty — that is not in dispute. What has not been devised up to now is a structured arrangement for consulting on both a one-off basis and an ongoing basis those who benefit from it in a way that ensures their viewpoints are taken into account and that the best results possible are obtained from the resources.
What would the Taoiseach say to those who have been involved in the process in recent months who believe this is a cynical exercise based on the increases given in the budget to those in the poverty classes where the unemployed and elderly received an increase of 30p per day and people over 80 years received an increase of 20p per week? Does he agree there is not much point in putting together a complicated structure if these issues are being ignored?
On the contrary, it is fair to say that the Government has taken very careful account of the consultative process, first in the fact that in the budget we concentrated on one of the causes of poverty, long-term unemployment, and introduced a number of initiatives to deal with it. It is widely welcomed by all those concerned about poverty that we are tackling not only the symptoms of the problem but the cause, the absence of opportunity to work.
As social welfare increases are greater than the level of inflation, they represent a real improvement in the living standards of the people concerned. At one stage members of the Deputy's party complained that the Government was spending too much but it appears they have changed their minds. They seem to change their minds on that score almost every day, depending on where they are speaking.
That is something, coming from the Taoiseach.
We ought not to dwell unduly long on any one question as only 30 minutes are available for dealing with questions to the Taoiseach today.
I will not dwell long on this question and will await publication of the final report. I do not share the Taoiseach's optimism about the feelings of the long-term unemployed. The over eighties are not looking for work and a weekly increase of 20p is not much good to them. I welcome the initiative if it is of benefit and I would appreciate if, at the earliest opportunity, the Taoiseach would pass the draft conclusions of the report to one of the committees of the House so that we could have an input.
In regard to those over 80, the Government introduced a substantial increase in the living alone allowance which must be added to any consideration of the basic pension increase. Under their terms of reference there is no restriction which would prevent any committee discussing this matter and any which wishes to discuss it is free to do so.