Ivor Callely
Ceist:12 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the progress of the review of the national anti-poverty strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14552/01]
Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.
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%-15% of the population to less than 5% by 2004 and we are well on our way to achieving this target.
Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, we committed ourselves to revising and reviewing 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, housing-accommodation and ethnic groups. 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 representation, have been 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-unemployment, education, rural poverty and urban disadvantage. Each of the working groups will hold at least one consultative seminar in May or June and will also take account of submissions received on foot of an advertisement placed in national newspapers on 13 February. 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 final report of this group is expected in July.
The national anti-poverty strategy review working groups are due to report in 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 that the review of the national anti-poverty strategy will be completed in November 2001 and I am confident that the new strategy will provide the basis for further progress towards our goal of effectively eradicating poverty.
Austin Currie
Ceist:13 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when his Department will forward to the European Union Commission the Government's plans on measures to combat poverty; if such a strategy will be submitted to the European Union before 1 June 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15165/01]
Dick Spring
Ceist:59 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will give a preview of the two year action plan on poverty to be submitted to the European Commission by 1 June 2001; and if he will outline the consultations he has held with the social partners and interested agencies in this regard. [15282/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 59 together.
The national action plan against poverty and social exclusion which is to be submitted to the European Union is a priority for this Government. It represents the policy directions we are committed to pursuing over the period July 2001 to end June 2003 and complements the progress being made in the national anti-poverty strategy review.
An outline format for the national action plans was agreed by the EU Social Protection Committee on 19 January. A seminar with officials from the relevant services of the EU Commission was held in Brussels on 28 March. The purpose of the seminar was to have an open exchange of information and debate with relevant stakeholders in Ireland – including the social partners and Government agencies such as the Equality Authority and the Economic and Social Research Institute – about the process of co-ordination on social inclusion and the preparation of the national action plans. A round table held in May by my Department updated the social partners and other stakeholders on developments in relation to the preparation of the plan as well as allowing an opportunity to discuss equality issues.
The processes for consultation already in place for the national anti-poverty strategy and its review were helpful in drafting the plan. Written submissions from a range of interested parties were considered as part of the national plan process. Departments submitted workplans for the period 2001-03 and examples of best practice to the national anti-poverty strategy unit. The Combat Poverty Agency also had a key role in drafting elements of the plan.
A draft of the plan has been considered by relevant stakeholders, including the social partners, before submission to Government shortly. While I do not wish to pre-empt the Government deliberations in relation to the plan, I will say that it provides an extensive overview of policies and programmes in relation to social inclusion to be progressed over the next two years under each of the headings agreed by the EU and each of the objectives agreed at the Nice Summit. The plan builds on the extensive range of social inclusion measures already in place. In addition to measures under the NAPS themes, the plan pays particular attention to new areas such as the digital divide, indebtedness and family solidarity.
Question No. 14 answered with Question No. 8.