Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 2

Written Answers. - Social Inclusion Committee.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

273 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will give details of the achievements of the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Drugs from the period since the change of Government in June 1997 to date; the targets, if any, that the Cabinet Committee has set for itself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22579/97]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

My Department has responsibility for the work of the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion relating to the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS). The committee held its first meeting in October but the Deputy will be aware that matters pertaining to the Cabinet Committee itself are confidential.

However, in so far as the NAPS is concerned, there has been significant progress in relation to this strategy. The priority for this year has been to establish the institutional structures required to implement the strategy. A NAPS unit was established in my Department to co-ordinate its implementation.

The NAPS Inter-Departmental Policy Committee (IDPC), which was set up to oversee the formulation of the strategy, has met three times since April. This committee is comprised of senior officers who have responsibility for ensuring that the NAPS provisions relevant to their Departments are implemented. The issues which have been considered to date by the committee include the need for social auditing of policies and the future role of the social partners in the NAPS.

Liaison officers have been appointed in key Departments to fill a communication and co-ordination role. The unit has met with liaison officers on an individual basis to discuss the preparation of Departmental ‘baseline documents' based on social inclusion commitments set out in the NAPS, An Action Programme for the Millennium, and Partnership 2000. In addition, Departments are in the process of drawing up workplans for 1998, setting down objectives and targets in relation to the NAPS for the year.

Initial meetings have taken place with representatives of the seven core-funded anti-poverty networks to commence a round of consultation about the future role the voluntary and community sector will play in the NAPS. Preliminary discussions with the Department of the Environment and Local Government have also taken place to discuss the important role of local authorities in the NAPS.

An information and public education strategy is being drawn up with the aim of promoting public discussion and understanding of the value of a national anti-poverty strategy and highlighting the contribution that anti-poverty initiatives can make to improving the social, economic, political and cultural life of society. The Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) plays a key role in the NAPS and is represented on the NAPS Inter-Departmental Policy Committee. The agency is responsible for overseeing an evaluation of the process on behalf of the IDPC.

In addition, the CPA will provide support, in an advisory capacity, to individual Departments and local and/or regional structures on the development of anti-poverty strategies. The CPA will be particularly called upon to advise on anti-poverty strategies in the context of the local government reform process.