Vol. 521 No. 5
1 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach when the interdepartmental committee to examine existing and proposed social inclusion measures in the national development plan will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16487/00]
The commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness is to ensure the substantial increases in funding for social inclusion measures under the national development plan are prioritised towards the 25 areas of greatest need and are co-ordinated and targeted accordingly. It was agreed that an interdepartmental committee would identify and clarify the range of existing and proposed social inclusion measures in the national development plan to be included in the programme and to ensure that they are implemented in a speedy, effective and integrated manner, taking account of existing delivery mechanisms.
The interdepartmental committee of senior officials working to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion is addressing this matter and will report to the July meeting of the Cabinet committee. This will set the parameters for the more detailed analysis which will enable the areas, and the related investment programme, to be finalised.
As indicated in the PPF, there will be full consultation with the social partners on this issue. I am confident this will be complete well in advance of the target of next December, set down in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
Is the Taoiseach aware that 60% of those over the age of 65 are living on less than £100 per week and that the evidence of secondary deprivation, particularly among elderly women, is most severe in this group? Is he aware that a quarter of elderly households are living on half the average industrial wage? This represents the biggest concentration of poverty in our society.
This question refers to the interdepartmental committee examining the 25 areas of greatest social exclusion. The others are important but they are not the subject of the Deputy's question.
Is social inclusion not about people?
The question refers to the 25 areas to be identified and targeted in an integrated manner to deal with the people in those areas. We are endeavouring to identify the 25 most deprived urban and rural areas. When they are identified the needs of each of the 25 areas will be examined. The needs of old and young people and of people with specific difficulties will be examined. The resources provided for in the national development plan will be targeted at the areas which are most in need rather than spreading resources thinly.
That is precisely my question.
We hope to identify these 25 areas as quickly as possible.
All aspects of policy – education, social and family affairs, infrastructure and community facilities – in these areas will be targeted. This programme has developed from the very good work begun by the former Minister of State, Deputy Flood, on the integrated area programmes under which all the State and voluntary organisations are working collectively to target the most difficult areas. It is proposed to identify the areas of greatest need, examine the resources provided by the national plan and ensure these areas are helped in a co-ordinated way.
Does the Taoiseach agree it is relevant to ask, in the context of selecting areas for special treatment, if he should not take account of the fact that 60% of the elderly are living on less than £100 per week and that a quarter of elderly households are living on less than half the average industrial wage? I made this suggestion in my first supplementary question. It is unfortunate that time is being wasted but that is not my fault. Does the Taoiseach agree that special account must be taken of this matter, to which attention was drawn in an ESRI study published in April of this year?
The interdepartmental committee is working to produce indices which will ensure the areas of greatest need are identified. A broad range of criteria will be drawn up and deprivation indices will be examined. Disadvantage will be examined in relation to factors such as old age, population density and educational attainment as well as intangible factors such as community identity and culture. Everything which comes within the broad category of social exclusion will be examined.
Is the Taoiseach prepared to consider, as an interim measure pending the conclusion of the comprehensive report and the implementation of its recommendations, examining with the Tánaiste, if he is still speaking to her, the concentration of community employment schemes in areas of high disadvantage? Does the Taoiseach agree that many of these communities are being faced with reductions in CE places because of reductions in the overall programme on a nationwide basis? The reduction of CE schemes is compounding deprivation in disadvantaged areas. As an interim measure, will the Taoiseach ask the Tánaiste to review the reduction of CE places so as not to further disadvantage these areas?
This is a separate question.
It is related.
The question asked when the interdepartmental committee will be established.
Areas of most social exclusion have greatest need for the resources of these programmes. This is one problem. A different problem arises in other areas where people cannot be found to fill places on CE schemes.
The areas which have the greatest problems can fill the places.
I have always been in favour of targeting community employment schemes. It is proposed, using the integrated services plan which has been working effectively for the past two years, to target resources at deprived areas. It probably would not be difficult to select 25 areas but this must not be done loosely. The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness proposes that the areas of greatest deprivation be selected objectively and resources targeted at them.
