Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2004
279 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the strategies that are in place to tackle poverty in the 71,000 poorest households in the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7272/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the results of the 2001 Living in Ireland Survey undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, it is estimated that some 5.5% of households are experiencing consistent poverty. This equates to approximately 71,000 households.
The national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, together with the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion, NAPS/inclusion, provide the framework for the strategic response by Government to the issues of poverty and exclusion. The reduction and eventual elimination of consistent poverty has been a priority goal of the NAPS since its inception. Latterly, the NAPS/inclusion, covering the period from 2003 to 2005, incorporates the commitments made in the NAPS and in the current social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress. The NAPS/inclusion sets out the ambitious targets across the range of policy areas, including employment, income support, health, education, health and housing and accommodation, which impact on poverty and social exclusion. It also addresses the needs of certain groups within society who are particularly vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion. These groups include women, children and young people, older people, people with disabilities, travellers, prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Under the partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, a range of special initiatives are being undertaken, most of which are of direct relevance to combating poverty, including in particular the initiatives on ending child poverty, tackling educational disadvantage, supports for the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable workers, supports for carers, housing and accommodation initiatives and migration and inter-culturalism.
Institutional structures have been established to monitor and evaluate progress in all areas of the NAPS and NAPS/inclusion. These structures are facilitated and supported by the Office for Social Inclusion, OSI in my Department. OSI is also involved in co-ordinating the process across Departments and agencies and in implementing key support functions related to the strategy. The challenge now is to sustain and build on the progress we have made to date so that we can achieve our overarching objective of building a fairer and more inclusive society.
