Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
1037. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he has taken or continues to take to address social and or economic disadvantage amongst the youth cohort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48138/23]
View answerThere are a number of steps that my Department is taking to address social and/or economic disadvantage amongst children and the youth cohort.
Ireland’s National Action Plan under the EU Child Guarantee details efforts to address child poverty and social exclusion in Ireland, and highlights actions, objectives, targets and timelines in Education, Early Years, Health, Nutrition and Housing. The Action Plan seeks to promote service integration and awareness of supports at local level, and commits to the development of local child poverty action plans. My Department has responsibility for the co-ordination of this Action Plan across Government.
It is important to identify appropriate and effective structures to pursue necessary reforms to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children and young people. The forthcoming new National Framework for Children and Young People, currently being finalised, will inform the implementation of Ireland’s Child Guarantee National Action Plan.
The Action Plan commits to establish four pilot Child Poverty Local Area Action Plans in Children and Young People’s Services Committees areas. This is in conjunction with Local Community Development Committees under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development. Four pilot sites will be identified to implement local plans, maximise learning, and assess the feasibility of actions in both rural and urban areas. Other factors considered are population density, deprivation levels, local service provision, and diversity of service users.
Both my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development are working together in conjunction with Taoiseach’s Child Poverty and Well Being Office to develop an expressions of interest process for joint applications by Children and Young People’s Services Committees and Local Community Development Committees in 2024. The recently released 2022 Pobal HP Deprivation Index will inform the planning and application process.
The previously mentioned National Policy Framework for Children and Young People will introduce ‘Spotlight’ programmes to address areas of significant challenge which need focused, coordinated responses across Government. The first Spotlight on Child Poverty has begun with the establishment of the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach. From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Poverty and Well-being 2023-2025 focuses on six areas for early action, and brings together policies and services to make a real impact on the lives of children living in poverty.
The initial focus is on making sure that every child and their family has access to: the income they need; early learning and care; reduced cost of education; prevention and mitigation of family homelessness; pathways to access the services they need; and arts culture and sports opportunities.
The Framework will also incorporate the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, and ensure that it is collaborative, integrated and impactful. The implementation and monitoring of the National Action Plan will be incorporated into the Framework’s governance and monitoring structures. It is expected that Ireland will report on its progress in the implementation of its National Action Plan to the EU Commission every two years, with the first of these reports due in 2024. This report will primarily cover activities carried out and measures implemented since the adoption of the EU Child Guarantee Recommendation.
The Framework’s governance structures, which are planned to include representation from young people and civil society, as well as representation at senior level from across Government Departments and relevant agencies, will monitor progress on identified priorities to improve the lives of children and young people in Ireland.
My Department also supports measures to ensure that the child and youth participation structures under its remit are inclusive of all children and young people. Children and young people are supported where required to attend Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils); Dáil na nÓg (biennial youth parliament), the National Youth Assembly of Ireland, national consultations on public policy and related meetings or events. DCEDIY also supports measures to ensure that communications and youth participation meetings or events are accessible for children and young people with additional needs or who require additional supports. The Comhairle na nÓg Five Year Development Plan, currently being implemented, has a number of specific actions to ensure the accessibility and inclusivity of Comhairle na nÓg and related structures for all children and young people. Hub na nÓg, the centre for excellence and best practice in child and youth participation, has a particular focus on including the voice of seldom heard children and young people in decision-making on matters that affect them, this includes children and young people affected by social or economic disadvantage.
I remain committed to building a robust evidence base to inform policy decisions into the future, having commissioned published research from the ESRI and Maynooth University on the topic of child poverty in recent years. In addition, as part of the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme, a Cross Government Network on Child Poverty and Child Well-being has been launched. This network will provide a forum for the sharing of research and policy thinking, as well as generate greater visibility and collaboration in the work being done across the whole government to tackle Child Poverty in Ireland.
I am also committed to continued support of Growing Up in Ireland – the longitudinal study of children in Ireland. Growing Up in Ireland provides a unique depth of data to inform policy making in multiple domains, including child poverty.
My Department will provide funding of almost €73m for the youth sector in 2023. The level of funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector. Youth work programmes and services are delivered by volunteers in communities throughout the country.
The largest youth funding scheme provided by my Department is UBU Your Place Your Space. In 2023, over €46m was allocated to UBU funded organisations. UBU serves to improve the seven personal and social developmental outcomes of young people aged 10-24 years who are experiencing marginalisation, disadvantage or are vulnerable. These outcomes are:
1. Emotional Intelligence
2. Communication Skills
3. Confidence
4. Planning and Problem Solving
5. Creativity and Imagination
6. Relationships and
7. Resilience and Determination
There is strong evidence showing that approaches that focus on building social and emotional capabilities such as these can have good long-term impact for disadvantaged young people. When applying for funding under UBU, youth services must detail which outcome their proposed activities is seeking to develop.
Lastly, Budget 2024 provides investment for the initial roll out of the Equal Participation Model (EPM), which will support services to enhance supports to all children in early learning and childcare who may be vulnerable or disadvantaged. The supports are both universal and targeted, meaning some are for all early learning and childcare services and the children they serve, while some are for services who provide early learning and childcare in a context of high levels of concentrated disadvantage.
The response will be multifaceted reflecting the complexity of need and will be rolled out in stages as funding becomes available and as design of certain elements is progressed. EPM will start from September 2024 with phase one, with phases two and three following in subsequent years.
The final design of initial supports is being worked on but will focus in particular on enhanced supports to services with higher numbers of children from areas experiencing disadvantage.
Budget 2024 also provides for an increase in the sponsor rate, under the National Childcare Scheme for children aged one and over, to €5.30 from a minimum of €4.31 - €5.00 depending on the age of the child. Sponsored awards are specifically targeted at more vulnerable families based on family need, homelessness, or refugee status. It gives the highest subsidy without the need for an income assessment.
