Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 1

Written Answers. - Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Michael D. Higgins

Ceist:

87 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the recent address by the director of the NESC in which he said that child poverty was not being adequately addressed; the specific steps she plans to take to deal with the problem of child poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28944/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

I understand that the address referred to was based on the recent NESC strategy review, An Investment in Quality: Services, Inclusion and Enterprise, March 2003, where it is argued, inter alia, that ending child poverty is integral to achieving social and economic objectives. The council in that report has stated that the roots of many difficulties that people have in securing satisfactory employment and leading fulfilling lives as adults can be traced back to deprivation in their childhoods. I fully share the views of the council in this regard and tackling child poverty continues to be one of my top priorities.

Strategies to address child poverty and the measures to give effect to them are set out in the revised national anti-poverty strategy, the national children's strategy and, more recently, in the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion. The overall target is to reduce the number of children who are consistently poor to below 2% by 2007 and, if possible, to eliminate consistent poverty among children by then. Significant progress has already been made towards achieving this target. For instance, the number of children who are consistently poor has more than halved in the four year period 1997 to 2001, falling from 15.3% in 1997 to 6.5% in 2001.

One of the key means of achieving a reduction in child poverty lies in reducing the numbers of parents who are unemployed. The current low rates of unemployment, especially long-term unemployment, and the very significant increases in the numbers in employment, have undoubtedly contributed to the reduction in the level of consistent poverty among children. The aim must be to continue to maintain high levels of employment and to remove obstacles to taking up employment especially in the case of lone parents and parents with large families.

The importance of tackling child poverty is reflected also in the fact that ending child poverty was identified as one of ten special initiatives to be undertaken under Sustaining Progress. The objectives which are being pursued under this initiative include better medical and health services within the community for young children and their parents; priority to early education and child care facilities for disadvantaged families; ensuring every child obtains a threshold of numeracy and literacy; accelerated provision of play environments for local communities; wider availability of parenting support services for families at risk; and maximising the efficacy of child income support arrangements.

The application of different instruments and strategies for ending child poverty will be an integral part of how the Government, together with the social partners, will progress this key special initiative and a strong focus will be maintained on evaluating the instruments and strategies employed on the basis of their outcomes.

Question No. 88 answered with Question No. 64.