Vol. 505 No. 7
17 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the progress made to date in implementing the National Anti-Poverty Strategy; the plans, if any, he has to update or increase the targets set in the strategy in view of the economic position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14581/99]
The National Anti-Poverty Strategy or NAPS was launched in April 1997 with the overall target of reducing the proportion of households in consistent poverty from 9 to 15 per cent to less than 5 to 10 per cent by the year 2007. Targets were also set under five key themes – unemployment, educational disadvantage, income adequacy, disadvantaged urban areas and rural poverty.
Shortly after taking up office, the Government established a Cabinet committee on social inclusion, chaired by the Taoiseach, which has helped keep poverty among the issues at the top of our policy agenda. This committee is supported by a senior officials group on social inclusion which was established last year. The NAPS interdepartmental policy committee remains in place, NAPS liaison officers have been appointed in relevant Government Departments and a NAPS unit has been established in my Department to help co-ordinate and develop cross-departmental action to support social inclusion and anti-poverty measures.
To advance towards achieving the NAPS targets, the Government has undertaken various initiatives relevant to each of the five key theme areas. These include a multi-annual employment action plan aimed at reducing unemployment and preventing young people from drifting into unemployment; a Green Paper on adult education which was published in November 1998; a National Forum on Early Childhood Education held in March 1998 with a White Paper on this topic due to be published this year; cross-departmental groups examining the issues of homelessness and literacy among the unemployed have been established and will report this year; and a pilot programme to provide improved services to families locally was announced this month – this project, which will commence in the autumn, will build on the one stop shop concept, with the aim of providing improved access to services for families through the social welfare local offices; the integrated services project, which focuses on the specific needs of deprived urban areas, has proceeded to implementation stage; and a White Paper on rural development will be published shortly.
It is interesting to refer to the latest ESRI Report on Monitoring Poverty Trends, which was issued yesterday. It is evident that substantial progress has been made towards achieving the original NAPS targets. The number of people in consistent poverty has been reduced from 9 to 15 per cent to 7 to 10 per cent, with the NAPS target of 5 to 10 per cent almost achieved. The level of unemployment has been reduced from 11.9 per cent to 6.4 per cent, with the NAPS target of 6 per cent almost achieved. The level of long-term unemployment has been reduced from 7 per cent to 3.1 per cent, already below the NAPS target of 3.5 per cent. The income adequacy target, as defined by the Commission on Social Welfare, has been achieved in full with all social welfare payments now over the target rate.
In light of these developments and this Government's ongoing social inclusion strategy, I announced the following revised targets: consistent poverty to be reduced to below 5 per cent by 2004; unemployment to be reduced to below 5 per cent by 2002; and long-term unemployment to be reduced to 2.5 per cent by 2002. In addition, I have asked the interdepartmental policy committee to examine possibilities for new targets to reflect the changed environment, for example in relation to education, adult literacy and children in poverty.
It is clear that this Government is living up to its promise in its programme for Government to "halt the continuing drift towards the development of a two-tier society" and is achieving positive results.
I know the Minister announced a pilot scheme on poverty proofing but does he now intend to put that on a permanent basis and across all Government Departments so we can have an ongoing index of what is happening?
It is right across all Departments and is well established. It is there on a permanent basis and guidelines have been produced. The last budget was poverty proofed and recently I had discussions with the Minister for Finance on poverty proofing the national development plan and that is on line. The Deputy can take it that all major Government decisions, in effect every Government decision, is poverty proofed. We are to the fore in Europe with regard to poverty proofing from a Government perspective and we hope to push this with other State agencies, including local authorities.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
