Vol. 568 No. 6
320 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the exact official definition used by her Department of the terms disadvantage, disadvantaged area and disadvantaged community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17026/03]
There are no precise legal definitions of the terms "disadvantage", "disadvantaged area" and "disadvantaged community" in the codes of legislation for which my Department has responsibility.
My Department, through the office for social inclusion, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the revised national anti-poverty strategy, "Building an Inclusive Society", which was launched in February 2002. The strategy does not define the terms to which the Deputy refers, but is underpinned by the following definition of poverty:
People are living in poverty if their income and resources, material, cultural and social, are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people in society.
This definition recognises the multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of poverty and exclusion and provides a framework to address issues of disadvantage across a range of policy domains. In this regard, the strategy makes specific reference to those experiencing urban and rural disadvantage.
In relation to the former group, the strategy sets an overall objective of tackling social exclusion in urban areas in a comprehensive and sustained manner by ensuring the provision of adequate income and by building viable and sustainable communities, through improving the lives of people living in disadvantaged urban areas and building social capital and community ownership of strategies. The strategy states that there will be a particular focus on reducing the harm caused through drug misuse and the incidence of crime; improving family support services; increasing youth participation in education and training; and ensuring that State services are delivered in an integrated way.
On rural disadvantage, the overall objective set out in the strategy is to tackle social exclusion in rural areas in a comprehensive and sustained manner by ensuring the provision of an adequate income, through employment and income support, access to adequate services and infrastructure on a timely basis, and co-ordination of responses and empowerment of local people and communities.
