Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:
76
Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the definitive information, if any, he has which suggests that households headed by women are more at risk from poverty; the steps, if any, his Department is undertaking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10327/99]
The latest figures available for the risk and incidence of poverty, broken down on a gender basis in terms of heads of household, relates to the 1994 living in Ireland survey and the subsequent analysis of this data by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI.
The data showed that households headed by women were at a higher risk of relative income poverty in that year at both the 50 per cent and 60 per cent income lines. At the 50 per cent line the risk of relative income poverty was 24 per cent for female-headed households and 16.8 per cent for male/couple-headed households while, at the 60 per cent line, the corresponding figures were 52.7 per cent and 29.1 per cent respectively. At the 40 per cent line, however, the risk was lower for female-headed households than was the case for male/couple-headed households.
I should point out that these figures refer to relative income poverty only and do not take into account the presence of basic deprivation in these households. This factor has been used by the ESRI to provide a more complete picture of pov erty levels and has been incorporated into the definition of consistent poverty used in formulating the targets for the national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS. Because of the definition of household head used for the survey, in the vast majority of the cases where a couple occupy a household the respondent identified the male partner as head. As a result, the number of female-headed households was less than 10 per cent of the total sample, a very low proportion compared to the number of women in the total population. Most of these households fall into the category of lone parent or single women households, both of which were identified as being at higher risk of poverty than the population at large.
This Government has committed itself to the realisation of true equality for women and to ensuring that women can realise their full potential in Irish society. In addition, one of the key principles underlying the NAPS is "the reduction of inequalities and in particular, addressing the gender dimensions of poverty" and a number of developments have taken place which aim,inter alia, to ease the burden on predominantly female-headed households.
A working group to examine the tax and social welfare treatment of married, cohabiting and one-parent families was established in May 1997. Underlying the necessity of such a review was a need to ensure fairness in the way that the State supports families of all types, while at the same time providing assistance for families who are at particular risk of poverty. The group will complete its work in the next couple of months. The introduction of poverty proofing across all Departments, which aims to assess significant policy proposals at design stage for their impact on the poor, is also a major step in this regard. Lone parents, older people, and single adult households are among the groups given particular attention in this process.
My Department also recognises that women in both urban and rural areas can experience particular problems arising from poverty and marginalisation, and that women's groups and community groups have an important role in tackling these problems. Particular emphasis is placed in the various grant schemes operated by my Department on support for community-based initiatives targeted at disadvantaged women. Schemes of particular relevance in this regard are the community development programme, the family and community services resource centre programme, and the scheme of grants for locally-based community and family support group.
The imminent publication of an ESRI report on women in poverty, commissioned by the Combat Poverty Agency, based on the results of the 1994 living in Ireland survey, will give a more accurate picture of causes and trends in relation to this issue.
