Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2015
35. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department co-operates with other Departments and State agencies to ensure the best outcomes for tackling child poverty rates, where indicators are showing no improvements in recent years despite the abatement of the worst of the economic crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35514/15]
View answerBetter Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020, was published and launched by Government in 2014. It provides the overarching framework for the development and implementation of policy and services for children and young people. This is a whole of government framework, implementation of which is overseen by my Department.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures set out a target of lifting over 70,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020, a reduction of at least two-thirds on the 2011 level. Following on from this commitment, the Department of Social Protection have identified child poverty as a cross-sectoral priority action. The Department of Social Protection have the lead role in coordinating government strategies on child poverty and are the Sponsor of outcome 4 of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures - economic security and opportunity. The Department of Social Protection also has lead responsibility for the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion.
To assist in this, the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and the Department of Social Protection have co-convened a subgroup with officials from other relevant Departments to progress solutions to the issue of child poverty. This group held its first meeting in September 2015, and two more are anticipated in the near future.
My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Social Protection supporting this mutli-dimensional approach to child poverty. There are also a number of areas of focus that support our response to child poverty within my Department. My Department invests €260 million annually on early childhood care and education and after-school support programmes which provide care to 100,000 children. A number of these programmes are targeted at those on lowest incomes. In addition in early 2015, I established an Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education. The work of the group was focused on identifying policy objectives to guide future investment in this area. This report was published in July 2015.
My Department is also leading the implementation of the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-2017). The ABC Programme is co-funded by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies and will have a total funding allocation of up to €29.7 million. The ABC Programme draws on best international practice to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched, and improve the outcomes for children and young people and existing services. It is overseen by an interdepartmental project team.
My Department also provides targeted support for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through a range of schemes totalling €49.93m of funding. The purpose recently published National Youth Strategy 2015 - 2020 is to enable all young people aged 10 to 24 to realise their maximum potential with regard to the five national outcomes in Better Outcomes, Brighter Future. It is a universal strategy for all young people. It has a particular focus on the needs of young people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes.
Finally, as part of my Department's response, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is also responsible for the delivery of a range of services focusing on the welfare, protection and support for children, young people and their families which are key to supporting outcomes which assist in actively mitigating the impact of child poverty.
