Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 4

Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

61 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has for an information and public education strategy to promote public understanding of the value of a national anti-poverty strategy; the budget, if any, which has been allocated for the strategy; when it will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2565/98]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The need for greater awareness of poverty and its causes and, indeed, for greater awareness of the existence and implications of the national anti-poverty strategy (NAPS) itself, is a priority for the implementation of the strategy. My Department, and the Combat Poverty Agency have been working on drawing up an information and public education strategy.

The promotion of the NAPS will take place using two complementary approaches. On the one hand, the importance of creating a profile for the NAPS throughout the public sector, the social partners and the general public is a priority, showing how it can contribute to setting and influencing the agenda for anti-poverty work and to creating a greater appreciation of the issues involved in policy that favours the socially excluded. On the other hand, increasing poverty awareness itself is crucial in creating a climate in which the NAPS can be implemented with the fullest support. A more informed analysis and understanding of the causes, extent and experience of poverty is fundamental to support for the need for economic and social change in favour of the poor.

A discussion paper on the information strategy has been drawn up by the Combat Poverty Agency and is currently being considered by the NAPS inter-departmental policy committee. When the strategy is ratified by the committee, its implementation will begin immediately. There has, however, been much groundwork done already on the promotion of the national anti-poverty strategy. A range of information initiatives have been undertaken in recent months, including the following: a NAPS seminar, for the Dublin and Mid-Eastern Regional Authorities, took place last month in Tallaght. It is proposed to repeat this exercise elsewhere; preparation has been made for the publication of the NAPS document on the Internet.

In relation to budgets, the Combat Poverty Agency has set aside £12,000 for the NAPS information strategy over the coming year, supplementing the budget within my Department for this purpose. In so far as individual Departments are concerned, promotion of NAPS-related initiatives will be carried out under existing information and publicity budgets.

Finally, it is particularly important to note that the information strategy will be subject to regular review and its impact will be evaluated as part of the overall NAPS evaluation.