A copy of the report to which the Deputy refers has been recently received in my Department and the material in it will be examined by my officials. A number of issues raised in the report are cross-cutting in nature and require an integrated and strategic approach. The strategies, for which my Department is responsible, to combat child poverty and the measures to give effect to them are set out in the revised national anti-poverty strategy and, more recently, in the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion. A key objective of these strategies is to eliminate child poverty and to move towards a situation of greater equality for all children in terms of access to appropriate education, health and housing, thereby seeking to break the cycle of disadvantage and exclusion experienced by certain children in society.
The most significant child poverty related measure in my Department has been the increase in child benefit, from which all families have gained, but particularly those on low incomes. The rate of child benefit has risen from €38.09 for the first two children and €49.52 for each child thereafter in 1997 to €131.60 per month for each of the first two children and to €165.30 per month for the third and each subsequent child. Another income support for low income families is the family income supplement. The aim of this scheme is to provide a weekly cash support for employees on low earnings with families, thereby preserving the incentive to remain in employment. Family income supplement payment rates have increased annually in line with unemployment payments, maintaining the incentive for people to avail of suitable employment opportunities. In the 2004 estimates €56 million has been allocated for this scheme. My Department also provides a one parent family payment which is a payment for both men and women who, for a variety of reasons, are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. €707.8 million is provided in the 2004 estimates for this scheme.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting and protecting families and children and is fully committed to achieving the national anti-poverty strategy targets. A specific target in the national anti-poverty strategy is to reduce the number of children who are consistently poor to below 2% by 2007 and, if possible, to eliminate consistent poverty amongst 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. I am confident that the measures envisaged will contribute to a significant improvement in the quality of life for children experiencing poverty.
