Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Feb 1999

Vol. 499 No. 3

Written Answers - Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

114 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will establish a study group to examine the problem of unemployed youths under 18 years where families, often in very deprived circumstances, receive no special allowances for such children and where the young people are ineligible for unemployment assistance and many courses. [2605/99]

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

While I fully appreciate the seriousness of the problem identified by the Deputy, I would have to be convinced of the merits of establishing a study group along the lines proposed. I am sure he will share my view that the needs of the unemployed youths aged under 18 can best be met through retention in the education system and/or through appropriate training.

These issues are primarily the concerns of my colleagues, the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment respectively. I know that the issues are being pursued actively through, for instance a range of actions to encourage retention within the school system; the provision of training options within the FÁS system; and access to the Youthreach programme for early school leavers.

In so far as my Department is concerned, the welfare system seeks to support and encourage retention within the school system. For instance, child benefit is payable in respect of all children aged up to 16, and up to the age of 19 where children are in full-time education. Similarly, child dependant allowances are payable in respect of all children up to the age of 18 years. Where a claimant is in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment, child dependant allowances are payable where children are in full-time education up to the age of 22 years, or up to the end of the academic year after the 22nd birthday.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

115 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will outline his own strategy to tackle child poverty having regard to the Combat Poverty Agency's strategy in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2612/99]

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

The incidence of child poverty has always been a concern of this Government and successive budget measures, along with targeted policy initiatives, have sought to ensure that our children are protected and are given the opportunities to break an inter-generational cycle of poverty.

Child income support policy plays a major role in reducing and preventing child poverty and there is widespread agreement – the Combat Poverty Agency included – that child benefit is an effective mechanism in tackling poverty as it channels resources directly to families and is of particular importance to families on low incomes.

In the recent budget, child benefit was increased by £3 per month for each of the first two children and by £4 per month for the third and all subsequent children. Some 513,000 families with a total of 1.2 million children will benefit from these increases. The full year cost of these increases is £40.76 million.

Family income supplement – or FIS – is designed to provide income support for low wage employees with children. The payment is also available to single parents. The 1998 budget provided for the calculation of FIS on a net income rather than a gross income basis which significantly increased the supplements payable under the scheme. In addition, from June 1999, the weekly income thresholds for FIS will be increased by £8 which will result in a gain of £4.80 per week for many of the 13,000 families on FIS.

Research has shown repeatedly that unemployment is a key factor in producing poor households, and this is, of course, also true for households containing children. Unemployment has fallen substantially in recent years, estimated at 7.7 per cent on average for 1998, demonstrating the significant progress already made towards the National Anti-Poverty Strategy's target rate of 6 per cent by 2007.

Under the national anti-poverty strategy, a system of poverty proofing has also been introduced on a one-year pilot basis across Government Departments. This system ensures that the needs of the poor and socially excluded are considered as policy is being designed. Children, particularly those living in large families, are identified as one of the groups at particular risk of poverty and, as such, are given particular attention in this process.

The Combat Poverty Agency provides advice to me and my Department in relation to a range of issues concerning poverty. Its views and recommendations are always given full consideration and form an important input into the budgetary process, subject to resource constraints and competing demands. In the context of an overall social welfare package of £273 million, it was not possible to accommodate all of the Combat Poverty Agency's recommendations. The agency's proposed increases for child benefit alone totalled some £200 million as well as recommending general social welfare rates increases of some £265 million and various other measures.

There is no doubt that the area of child income support will continue to be a primary issue in future years and the needs of those most disadvantaged will be a priority. The advice of the Combat Poverty Agency will continue to play an important role in informing the policy framework in this regard as will relevant research from the Economic and Social Research Institute and others. In this regard, the deputy may wish to note that the ESRI will publish, around Easter of this year, a report of trends in poverty from 1994 to 1997 as an update to the 1994 Living in Ireland survey which underpinned the national anti-poverty strategy. This report will allow us to examine the ongoing trends in relation to NAPS and poverty in general.