Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2017
296. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the latest CSO survey on income and living conditions, SILC, report which shows that over 390,000 children are living in households experiencing deprivation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7023/17]
View answerI welcome the latest CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions results for 2015, showing improvements in living conditions and at tackling poverty. The CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for 2015 shows that 31.4 per cent of children experienced deprivation. While this is higher than the national rate, this is a reduction on the 2014 figure of 36.1 per cent or 51,000 children. The full impact of the recovery is not yet reflected in these figures. Ireland has returned to strong economic and employment growth.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The national policy framework for children and young people, published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2014, includes a target to reduce child poverty by two-thirds by 2020. Under this Framework, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in collaboration with my Department and other relevant Departments is taking a whole-of-government approach to tackling child poverty.
A key driver in preventing poverty among children is social transfers, such as welfare payments and child benefit. Using Eurostat data, social transfers (excluding pensions) reduced the at-risk-of-poverty rate for children from 42% to 18%, a poverty reduction effect of 58%. Ireland is among the best in the EU for reducing poverty through social transfers; well above the EU average of 39%, ranking 2nd of the 28 member states.
The monthly unemployment rate in January 2017 announced by the CSO was 7.1%, down from a peak of 15% in 2012. As unemployment is strongly linked to poverty, we can expect further decreases in poverty as the figures for 2016 and 2017 become available. The Government continues to focus helping people back into the workforce.
Budget 2017 increased the weekly rates of payment for working age schemes and also raised the income disregard for one-parent family payment and jobseeker’s transition payment recipients. These measures will help to tackle child poverty.
Continued economic recovery, together with Government action to sustain and develop the social welfare system, will support further reductions in poverty over the coming years.
However, reducing child poverty is not just about income supports and welfare. Rather it is also about supporting parents to make the transition into employment and assisting families through the provision of quality and affordable services in areas such as childcare, education and health.
That is why one of the most important measures contained in Budget 2017 for tackling child poverty was the announcement that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs will implement next year the new Single Affordable Childcare Scheme. This scheme is a step change in State support for childcare in Ireland. It is an important scheme as it will significantly reduce the cost of childcare for low income parents and will provide further substantial support for families to lift themselves out of poverty by taking up employment.
