I welcome the findings of the second annual report of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy Interdepartmental Policy Committee 1999-2000 which I launched with the Taoiseach on September 29.
This second National Anti-Poverty Strategy progress report provides an overview of developments in social inclusion and anti-poverty initiatives across all Government Departments over the past year under the five key theme areas: educational disadvantage, unemployment, income adequacy, disadvantaged urban areas and rural poverty. It also outlines new policy initiatives to combat social exclusion.
The progress which has been made since the launch of the strategy in 1997 is very significant. The key targets set under the strategy have now all been met. Unemployment is down to 3.7%, long-term unemployment is down from 7% in 1996 to 1.6% today and consistent poverty has almost halved from 15% to just over 8% today.
While progress to date has been striking much needs to be done. The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness provides that the methodology underlying the national anti-poverty strategy will be reviewed, existing targets reviewed and revised where appropriate and new targets will be considered under the themes of child poverty, women's poverty, health, older people, and housing-accommodation.