Vol. 561 No. 6
56 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has satisfied herself that the social partnership negotiations are dealing comprehensively with poverty, housing and related matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4825/03]
I believe that the outcome of the social partnership negotiations provides a positive framework for addressing the issues of poverty and social exclusion in a comprehensive, focused and integrated manner. A distinctive feature of the new agreement, Sustaining Progress, is the identification of ten special initiatives which will be the subject of sustained effort from all parties over the lifetime of the agreement. Most notably, from the perspective of poverty and social inclusion, these initiatives will cover issues of child poverty, housing and accommodation, migration and interculturalism, unemployment and vulnerable workers, educational disadvantage, caring, alcohol-drug misuse and inclusion in relation to information technology.
The identification of these key areas in the agreement reinforces the shared commitment of all the parties to the achievement of the objectives and targets set out in the revised national anti-poverty strategy – Building an Inclusive Society – which was launched in February 2002. Furthermore, the agreement acknowledges that the challenge now is to achieve the NAPS targets in the light of changed circumstances and to ensure real and sustained progress in relation to implementation. In this context, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieve the NAPS target for the lowest social welfare rates and appropriate child equivalence levels by 2007, on the basis set out in the strategy. I am confident that the implementation of the social partnership agreement, allied to the achievement of the existing targets set out in the NAPS, will ensure that we will make real and tangible progress towards the achievement of a fair and inclusive society.
Question No. 57 answered with Question No. 39.
