Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2004
66 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the new measures or sanctions he proposes to introduce in response to the considerable problems highlighted in the recent report compiled by the CDI entitled How are our Kids. [28114/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the study, to which the Deputy refers, and like many others am concerned at its findings. It demonstrates the urgency of the action required to combat poverty, which impacts on our most vulnerable citizens, especially children. The study is based on a sample of 187 children drawn from 79 households in Tallaght west.
The area differs from the average in this country in the following important respects: the population is much younger than the average, 54% under age 25, compared to the national average of 37%, while the proportion of children leaving education early is significantly higher than the national average; almost 7% of the population lives with a disability of whom 14.6% are under 15 years age, compared to the national average of 5.3%; the proportion unemployed, at 10.6%, is more than twice the national average, while a further 4.6% are unable to work; almost one in three of households is headed by a lone parent, with just under 24% of such households having a child under 15 years, compared to national averages of 12% and 5.3% respectively; Those living in the area are, therefore, at a much higher risk of poverty than the national average. The national anti-poverty strategy, which has been in operation since 1997, is being constantly developed, a process being co-ordinated by the office for social inclusion within my Department. The strategy is designed to meet the type of challenges highlighted by this study, which are cross-cutting in nature and require an integrated approach.
A key objective of the strategy is to move towards eliminating child poverty and to have a situation of greater equality for all 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. A report on the implementation of the strategy for the period 2003 to 2004 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. This will provide a basis for an evaluation of the progress made so far in combating poverty and social exclusion and what the priorities should be for further action.
The evaluation will take place in consultation with the social partners, the community, voluntary sector and other interested parties with a view to a report being forwarded to the EU in June next year. A key priority will be to further develop a more effective regional and locally based approach to combating poverty, within the context of the RAPID programme This programme, launched in 2001, is designed to improve the quality and delivery of services and facilities in identified areas of urban disadvantage, which includes parts of west Tallaght. The ongoing review of the NAPS will examine how national policies in areas such as income and employment supports, child care, health, and education can be better integrated with locally based services to more effectively combat concentrations of poverty, especially in areas of deprivation. Above all, the review will seek to identify priorities for immediate action, given the urgency of significantly improving the well being of the children, whose situation is so well documented in the study. The findings of studies such as this are being fully taken into account in this process. I have also asked my officials to discuss the study with the authors and to identify other priorities for action.
The Minister has answered one of the questions I intended to ask by saying his officials will meet the authors of the report, which I welcome. I am putting a series of questions on the report to a number of Ministers. According to the report, the people in Tallaght are subject to a disproportionate burden of poverty and inequality. While I have no doubt there are other areas in the State with a similar burden, there is a special case to be made for this particular area. The fact that I represent it is immaterial as I would raise the issue were I the representative of any other area.
According to the report, one in three families is headed by a lone parent, which is four times the national average. While people talk about problem areas, it is Government and society which have created the conditions in which those problems have occurred. It is for us, therefore, to come up with the solutions. The report refers to a solution-based approach to the problems in the area. On foot of the meeting with the report's authors, the Minister or one of his officials should consider specific solutions to try to resolve the problems in the area. In his reply, the Minister accepted there was a problem.
Deputy Crowe is falling into the trap of making a speech during Question Time.
Sorry about that. While the Minister outlined clearly the problems in the area, I am calling for a direct approach to tackling the problem. If there are job losses in a particular area, we normally establish a task force. While I am not necessarily looking for that, I want some form of short and long term response to the problems in this area.
I thank the Deputy. I acknowledged in my reply the work of the authors of the report and outlined that a meeting would take place. The Deputy is correct to focus on west Tallaght, the percentage figures for which are unacceptable. We must continue to tackle the problems. While the people of Tallaght receive in the first instance all of the benefit supports people receive nationwide, special, extended supports tailored to meet the needs of the particular area are also required. For example, my Department's area manager in Tallaght is a member of the board of Tallaght area partnership and the west Tallaght RAPID implementation team. The facilitator based in the local Tallaght office is a member of the Tallaght partnership's early school leaver strategy group. Work is also ongoing in Jobstown and with local community organisations such as the Tallaght lone-parent community development project. There is a host of other projects, details of which I can supply to the Deputy, though I am sure he knows them far better than I do through his connections with them.
67 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recent findings by the Combat Poverty Agency that 35% of poor children come from households that are headed by a person who is in employment; his plans to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28452/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI omitted previously to offer my congratulations to Deputy Stanton on his appointment to his party's Front Bench. I wish him well, though not too well.
The Deputy refers no doubt to the Combat Poverty Agency's recent pre-budget submission to the Government. The submission refers to children in families supported by those in low-paid employment who are deemed to be at risk of poverty as their income falls below the 60% relative-income threshold, which is 60% of median income. Tackling child poverty continues to be one of the Government's key priorities. The problem of child poverty is multifaceted and requires a multifaceted response through agencies such as the revised national anti-poverty strategy, the national children's strategy and, more recently, the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion. Through these strategies, the Government has committed to specific and measurable targets to achieve greater equality of access to adequate income, appropriate education, health and housing to break the cycle of disadvantage and exclusion experienced by certain children in society.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting and protecting families and children. Our aim is to achieve the national anti-poverty strategy target of reducing the number of children who are consistently poor to below 2% by 2007 or, if possible, to eliminate by then consistent poverty among children. Significant progress has already been made towards achieving this target. The number of children who are consistently poor has more than halved in the four-year period from 1997 to 2001, falling from 15.3% in 1997 to 6.5% in 2001. I emphasise that our aim is to reduce consistent poverty to below 2% rather than eliminate it completely.
A key factor underpinning the reduction in child poverty is the reduction in the numbers of parents who are unemployed. Our aim is to continue to maintain high levels of employment and to remove obstacles to taking up employment especially in the cases of lone parents and parents with large families. This approach is reflected in the investment in child benefit which is an employment-neutral payment offering an effective means of channelling income support to low-income families to tackle child poverty. Payments now amount to €131.60 for the first and second child and €165.30 for third and subsequent children.
The issue of child poverty in the homes of persons working in low-earnings employment is recognised by my Department through the directing of further income support towards such families by way of family-income supplement. This supplement provides cash support through weekly payments to families, including lone-parent families, whose earners work for low pay. Improvements to the scheme such as the assessment of entitlements on the basis of net rather than gross income and the progressive increases in the income limits have made it easier for lower-income households to qualify for the supplement. The number of persons in receipt of family income supplement at the end of October 2004 was 14,303 while the average weekly payment was €74.16. An allocation of €56 million has been made for the scheme in the 2004 Estimates.
The importance of tackling child poverty is reflected in the identification of ending child poverty as one of ten special initiatives to be undertaken under Sustaining Progress. Under this initiative, key policy issues are being addressed including child income support arrangements. The work being undertaken under the special initiative will further enhance our capacity to tackle the issue of child poverty. Further improvements to child income support arrangements will be considered in a budgetary context.
Does the Minister accept the findings of the Combat Poverty Agency, which is an independent statutory agency, that 35% of poor children live in working households? I take it he has seen the report. Does the Minister agree it is time to move away from consistent levels of poverty to talk about relative income poverty, which is the measure used across Europe? Does the Minister agree that family income supplement is completely inadequate and must be increased by at least €35 per week?
I have no reason to doubt the Combat Poverty Agency's statistic that 35% of poor children come from households headed by a person who is in employment. The figure according to which I have been operating in the Department is that 66,000 children are on the front line. These are the children on whom I want to focus if possible. The figure is accepted by the Department, all of the agencies involved and in independent assessments. While one gets extra numbers depending on how far out one draws the line, the number of children on the very front line is 66,000. That is completely unacceptable as the mark of a civilised society must be the way it treats those 66,000 kids. I am determined to focus support directly on these children with some urgency.
The Deputy also asked me about family income supplement. As with all such schemes, one would like to do more. The supplement is intended to be an additional payment for those in low-paid employment who have families and in that connection it is of help. The current level of payment of approximately €74 does not seriously tackle the issue and is no more than an incentive. I do not claim more than that for it.
What measure has the Minister used to arrive at the figure of 66,000 children?
That is the figure supplied to me by the Department of Social and Family Affairs as the number agreed with the agencies, in various studies and in the national anti-poverty strategy. I realise there are different definitions and that we can argue about consistent and relative poverty as well as the poverty of children in households headed by people who have jobs as opposed to those in households headed by persons without them. The initial conclusion I have arrived at is that it is a wide argument. There is no disagreement on the fact that we need to deal with the needs of the 66,000 children and that is where my focus will be.
