The figure for child poverty in Ireland of 15.7% based on 50% of median national income in 2000 was referred to in the recent Combat Poverty Agency "Ending Child Poverty" policy statement which, in turn, was drawn from a recent UNICEF report on child poverty.
As I restated when I launched the agency's statement, tackling child poverty continues to be among my key priorities. Strategies to address child poverty and the measures to give effect to them are set out in the national action plan against poverty and social exclusion and in the national children's strategy. The importance of tackling child poverty is reflected in the fact that Ending Child Poverty is one of ten Sustaining Progress special initiatives. One of the key strategies for reducing child poverty is the reduction of 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 for lone parents and parents with large families.
The most significant measure to tackle child poverty by my Department has been the substantial increases in child benefit payment rates. Between 1997 and 2005, the rate of child benefit rose from €38.09 per month for the first two children and €49.50 for each child thereafter to €141.60 per month for each of the first two children and to €177.30 per month for the third and each subsequent child. Child benefit is paid to more than 540,000 families in respect of approximately 1 million children, at an estimated cost of €1.9 billion in 2005. It delivers a standard rate of payment in respect of all children in a family regardless of income levels or employment status.
Through the family income supplement scheme, my Department provides cash support by way of weekly payments to families, including lone parent families, at work on low pay. Recent improvements to the scheme, including the assessment of entitlements on the basis of net rather than gross income and progressive increases in the income limits, have made it easier for lower income households to qualify under the scheme. To address the situation of those children who are most at risk of poverty I am giving serious consideration to the introduction of a second tier of supports, aimed specifically at families in greatest need. A study is being carried out by the NESC on the possibility of amalgamating social welfare child dependant allowances with family income supplement payments, in an effort to channel extra resources to low income families without creating disincentives to employment. In addition, a sub-group of the senior officials group on social inclusion is examining obstacles to employment for lone parent families and will shortly present its report.
My Department is also participating in an interdepartmental working group on early child care and education, chaired by the National Children's Office. The work of this committee is at an advanced stage and the outcome will make an important contribution to finding the right mix of services and income support to facilitate employment take up and care for children. The causes of poverty among children and its effects are multifaceted requiring a multi-policy response. A wide range of data is required to effectively monitor, evaluate and develop such policies. It is for that reason my Department and the Department of Health and Children, through the National Children's Office, are jointly funding a national longitudinal study on children. The study will be the most significant of its kind to be undertaken here, particularly in terms of the cost, scope and length of study period. It is anticipated that 10,000 children from birth and 8,000 children aged nine will be recruited to participate in the study, which is expected to commence later this year.
Assisting and supporting vulnerable families and their children is one of our main challenges as a society. Through the initiatives we are taking to combat poverty and social exclusion, the Government is giving priority to ensuring that vulnerable families and their children have the share of life chances and quality of life which our prosperity as a nation demands.