John Lahart
Question:42. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the planned priority measures for 2022 under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14821/22]
View answerTuesday, 22 March 2022
Questions (42)
Written answers
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce consistent poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland. The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments.
Implementation of Roadmap commitments is underway with a number of commitments fully achieved or close to completion and with work ongoing in relation to a number of other commitments. This was achieved despite a challenging backdrop with many Departments having to redirect resources during 2020 and 2021 to address the range of social, health, community and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Delivery of Roadmap commitments will continue throughout 2022 including:
- The completed expansion of Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit in July when 7 weeks leave will be available to each parent within 2 years of the birth or adoption of a child (Commitments 7 & 29).
- Department of Social Protection communications campaigns in 2022 will include campaigns on welfare benefits that can be retained when taking up employment and in-work income support payments available to families on low-incomes (Commitments 6 & 16).
- Under the Primary Care Education, Pathways and Research in Dementia (PREPARED) project GPs and primary care teams will continue to be trained in the management of dementia (Commitment 26).
- The implementation of a range of sectoral strategies that will support people who are experiencing poverty or social exclusion and contribute to the achievement of Roadmap goals including: Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025; Further Education and Training Strategy: Future FET; Pathways to Work 2021-2025; National Childcare Scheme; DEIS Plan 2017; National Disability Inclusion Strategy; Comprehensive Employment Strategy; Our Rural Future; and the National Volunteering Strategy (Commitments 1, 3, 8, 39, 41, 47 & 48).
- As part of the annual budgetary process the Department of Social Protection will continue to target a reduction in poverty among children and families on low incomes (Commitment 18).
- The 2021 Progress Report is expected to be published later this year and will provide an update on progress towards the Roadmap Goals. It will be the second progress report, following the publication in January 2022 of the first report, which covered the period January 2020 to September 2021. It will be accompanied by a Report Card detailing progress on each of the Roadmap commitments. The Progress Report and Report Card are available on the Department of Social Protection pages on Gov.ie.
- The Mid Term Review of the Roadmap is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2022. This will facilitate an evaluation of the impact of Roadmap commitments and progress towards the achievement of the Roadmap goals.