Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 January 2016
302. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs what steps he intends to take to ensure that anti-poverty and social inclusion targets in the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020 are met within a specified timeframe, as recommended by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission report submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. [2839/16]
View answerAt my recent appearance at the Review of Ireland by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, I stated that the Irish Government acknowledges that dealing with child poverty in Ireland has been a major challenge.
In recognition of the higher risks and life-long consequences of child poverty, the Government set a child-specific poverty target in Better Outcomes, Better Future: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People to reduce consistent child poverty by at least two-thirds on the 2011 level, a figure of 70,000 children by 2020. This is in line with the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission’s recommendation of setting a specified timeframe. Based on more recent (2014) current data, this target has been updated to 100,000 children.
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. Its work is also informed by the European Commission Recommendation on 'Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage'. The Department of Social Protection have identified child poverty as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed in 2015 and 2016 under the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures structures.
In support of the target, the Government is implementing a whole-of-government approach to tackling child poverty. The whole-of-government approach includes: child and family income supports; prevention and early intervention services in disadvantaged areas; access to employment for jobless households with children; national programme to tackle educational disadvantage; physical activity plan and provision of school meals.
To assist in this, the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Future, which brings together key members of the community and voluntary sectors who work with and for children and young people, and the Department of Social Protection have co-convened a subgroup with officials from my Department and other relevant Departments to progress solutions to the issue of child poverty. The first meeting of this group was held in September 2015, the second was held in November 2015 and a third is scheduled for January 2016.
As part of this multi-dimensional approach and the importance accorded to the development of effective and quality focused services and support for children and young people, my Department in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection will hold an EU Peer Review next month to explore innovative responses in prevention and early intervention to improve outcomes for children in particular those experiencing child poverty and disadvantage. This event will involve ten Member States and the European Commission and a number of key Irish Stakeholders.
My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Social Protection supporting this multi-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 and informed the estimates process for Budget 2016. Budget 2016 provides for an additional €85 million investment in 2016.
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 Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme aims to improve the outcomes for children, young people and existing service by drawing on best international practice to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched. It is overseen by an Inter-departmental project team.
My Department also provides targeted support for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people through a range of schemes. The allocation to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector for 2016 is €51.03 million. I launched the National Youth Strategy 2015-2020 on 8 October, 2015. The strategy sets out Government’s aims for young people, aged 10 to 24 years, so that they are active and healthy, achieving their full potential in learning and development, safe and protected from harm, have economic security and opportunity and are connected and contributing to their world. The implementation structures established by my Department under Better Outcomes Brighter Futures will oversee the roll out of the National Youth Strategy.
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.
