Vol. 531 No. 3
26 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the targets he has set for the elimination of poverty; if he has secured the agreement of the social partners to these targets; the dates by which he hopes to achieve each target; the mechanisms for implementation of measures designed to reach targets; the criteria against which achievement of targets will be measured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5565/01]
The national anti-poverty strategy was launched in April 1997. The overall target, as revised in 1999, is to reduce the numbers of those who are consistently poor from 9% to 15% of the population to less than 5% by 2004. We are well on our way towards achieving this target.
Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, we committed ourselves to revising and renewing the national anti-poverty strategy. The methodology underlying the strategy will be reviewed, existing targets reviewed and revised where appropriate and new targets will be considered under the themes of child poverty, women's poverty, health, older people and housing accommodation. Indicators will be considered under the national anti-poverty strategy themes, so that achievement of targets can be monitored over time.
A number of working groups, with social partner participation, have been or are being established to facilitate the review of targets, the development of indicators and policies to meet targets. The areas being covered are housing-accommodation, health, employment, education, rural poverty and urban disadvantage. Each of the working groups will hold at least one consultative seminar and an advertisement calling for submissions to the review process was placed in national newspapers on 13 February. A further meeting with the social partners will be held on 21 March to discuss the progress of the review to date.
A separate working group has been established, with an independent chairperson, to examine the issues in relation to benchmarking and indexation of social welfare payments. The working groups are due to report by June. This will be followed by a completion process involving a steering committee with representation from the working groups, including the social partners, and a national seminar on the strategy. It is expected the revised national anti-poverty strategy will be prepared by September.
I am confident the national anti-poverty strategy review will provide the basis for further progress towards our goal of effectively eradicating poverty.
By what date does the Minister expect to have new targets set for the elimination of child poverty, including relative child poverty? A recent Combat Poverty Agency report to the Minister revealed that one quarter of Irish children are poor, with 17% experiencing chronic poverty. What action does the Minister intend taking in his Department to address this? The Combat Poverty Agency suggested a basic income level for children, whereby the State should support children whose families are unable to do so. It suggested a child care subsidy and a range of other initiatives. What is the Minister's response to the Combat Poverty Agency's report of last February which contains many initiatives which, according to the agency, would begin to eliminate child poverty?
The substantial increase in child benefit of £25 for each of the first two children and £30 for subsequent children compares very favourably with the previous Government's last budget, which gave £1 each for the first two children and £5 for the third and subsequent children. We have also agreed that, over the next two budgets, similar increases amounting to £330 million, will be given. The Combat Poverty Agency, which is normally critical of the proposals of every Government, was highly complimentary towards the measures in this Government's last budget. I rest my case.
Improving child benefit is only one aspect of eliminating child poverty. In itself, it is simply not enough. It is clear from the report and from common sense, that the situation requires a range of other initiatives as well as improving child benefit. What other action does the Minister intend to take to deal with child poverty? It is clear the child benefit rates were not as generous as they could have been. It is the children of families dependant on social welfare who are most at risk. The Government was not very generous in the improvements in social welfare benefits this year.
The expenditure of £330 million on child benefit this year and the same amount next year is more than what the Deputy's party even asked for or proposed.
The Government did not adopt the suggestion of age-related payments to children under five and under 12. We decided to give child benefit to all children, on the basis that the cost of maintaining a child does not become any cheaper at age five or 12. The report of the working group on child poverty will be brought forward in September.
