Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Ceist:
117
Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the progress which is being made in the implementation of the revised national anti-poverty strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24710/02]
The revised national anti-poverty strategy which was launched earlier this year, sets out a range of key targets aimed at addressing the issues of poverty and social exclusion. Progress towards the implementation of these targets will be the subject of ongoing monitoring in line with key social indicators which have been agreed at EU level. In this regard, my Department will shortly commence preparation of the second national action plan against poverty and social exclusion which will cover the period 2003-05.
The establishment of the institutional supports required to underpin the implementation of the NAPS is well advanced. The National Office of Social Inclusion, which will report to me, will formally replace my Department's NAPS unit shortly. The work of the Office will be overseen by a management group drawn from relevant Departments.
The Office will have a number of key functions in relation to the NAPS – supporting and monitoring the implementation of the strategy, developing a more effective poverty proofing process, developing a formal data strategy and research strategy programme and drawing up an internal and external communications plan.
A technical advisory group, set up to assist in the development of the NAPS data strategy, recently held its inaugural meeting. This group consists of representatives of relevant Departments, the Economic and Social Research Institute, the Central Statistics Office and the Combat Poverty Agency.
The social inclusion consultative group is being established to strengthen the involvement of the social partners in the NAPS process. The group will comprise of representatives from Departments, the social partners and anti-poverty experts. It is planned to hold the first meeting of the group early in the new year.
The first social inclusion forum, to be convened by the National Economic and Social Forum, is expected to be held early in the new year. This forum will provide an opportunity for those working on the ground in the area of social inclusion to have a direct input into the NAPS process.
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
118
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if she has received the annual report of the Combat Poverty Agency; her views on the finding therein that relative income poverty has risen from 16% to 22% between 1994 and 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[24698/02]
Relative income poverty can be measured by counting the number of households or persons who have income below a certain percentage of mean or median average household disposable income. The revised national anti-poverty strategy states that progress in relation to the proportion of the population falling below relative income lines, particularly for a sustained period, will be monitored over the lifetime of the strategy.
The figures the Deputy referred to are the number of persons below the 60% median income line. The data is taken from the Economic and Social Research Institute's analysis of the Living in Ireland surveys and shows that the numbers below the line increased from 15.6% in 1994, to 18.2% in 1997, to 20% in 1998 and 22.1% in 2000. The Combat Poverty Agency notes in its report that this does not take into account the impact of non-cash benefits as only disposable income is measured. In addition, this measure does not take into account how resources have been accumulated or eroded over time.
In order to address such limitations, the ESRI has devised the consistent poverty measure. This measure is used for the NAPS poverty targets. It combines the relative income poverty measure with the experience of enforced deprivation and is intended to capture the notion of resources being eroded over time from persistence on low incomes.
Ireland has seen significant reductions in consistent poverty over the period from 1994 to 2000. From 15% in 1994, the level of consistent poverty stood at 6% in 2000. The Government, in the revised NAPS, has committed itself to reduce the numbers of those who are consistently poor below 2% and, if possible, to eliminate consistent poverty altogether. The achievement of this target would be a significant milestone on the road to building an inclusive society, a goal to which this Government is fully committed.
