Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 May 2000

Vol. 520 No. 1

Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

52 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the recently published major study of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, commissioned by the Combat Poverty Agency; if he will act on the 53 recommendations made in the report to strengthen the contribution of NAPS to eradicating poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15014/00]

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

Since it was formed in 1997, this Government has demonstrated a commitment to the process of social inclusion and has introduced policies to help ensure that every individual has the opportunity to participate fully in society.

While the National Anti-Poverty Strategy provided the framework for the implementation of cross-departmental policies to reduce poverty, economic and social developments since then have convinced this Government that the strategy needed to be reviewed to reflect the changed economic, social and cultural circumstances now prevailing in Ireland. In this regard, the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness provides for an updating of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, including a review of the underlying methodology, a review of existing targets and consideration of new targets.

Plans to get that review up and running, with the involvement of the social partners, are well under way. The publication of the Combat Poverty Agency study will play an important role in the debate on poverty issues and in the further development of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.

The review of the NAPS will incorporate a number of elements and will address many of the recommendations identified in the Combat Poverty Agency report. Existing targets will be reviewed and new targets considered under the themes of child poverty, women's poverty, health, older people and housing-accommodation. This process will be completed during the first 18 months of the programme.

Emerging causes of poverty will be analysed and mechanisms for strengthening the involvement of the social partners will be examined. The issue of data collection for the monitoring and evaluation of poverty will be examined, in line with commitments contained in the PPF. In addition, the programme provides for the roll-out of the NAPS to local authorities.

The poverty proofing of policies will be independently reviewed by the National Economic and Social Council with a view to strengthening that process. Following this review, poverty proofing will be extended on a phased basis to local authorities and health boards.

As I mentioned in the speech I delivered at the Combat Poverty Agency conference on 11 May, we now have the opportunity to effectively eliminate poverty in this country. This Government has worked throughout its term to tackle the root causes of poverty across various themes of income adequacy, unemployment, disadvantaged urban areas, rural poverty and educational disadvantage. While we are already seeing reductions in consistent poverty, its eventual elimination is something for which we, as a society need to strive.

One of the most important steps we can take towards eliminating poverty is to maintain and enhance an active debate on the means towards achieving this end. As the Combat Poverty Agency has indicated in its study, to eliminate poverty will require the right policies and the resources and the will to implement them effectively. The investment of £1.5 billion in social inclusion measures during the period of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness is testament to the Government's commitment in this area. The comprehensive section on social inclusion in the programme ensures that the policy focus will remain fixed on this issue in the years ahead.