Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2013
387. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied with the results achieved by the State in 2012 in achieving its targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23667/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs one of its five headline targets, the EU’s Europe 2020 Strategy sets a target in relation to poverty, namely to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion by 2020. The EU target population is defined by the combination of three indicators: at-risk-of-poverty, severe material deprivation and jobless households. As part of this process member states set national poverty targets, using appropriate national indicators, in support of the EU target. Ireland’s contribution to the Europe 2020 poverty target is to reduce by a minimum of 200,000 (4.4 per cent) the combined population in consistent poverty, at-risk-of-poverty or in basic deprivation, from the 2010 baseline of 31 per cent. Progress towards reaching the national target is set out in the national reform programme 2013 update within the broader context of reaching the national social target for poverty reduction to reduce consistent poverty to 4 per cent by 2016 and to 2 per cent or less by 2020, from the 2010 baseline rate of 6.3 per cent. This progress is then reviewed annually as part of the EU’s semester process.
According to the 2011 results from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions, published by the Central Statistics Office, 6.9 per cent of the population are in consistent poverty, which in the words of the CSO ‘is not a statistically significant change on the 2010 figure of 6.3 per cent’. Nonetheless, meeting the national social target and by extension the Europe 2020 targets will of course be a challenge over the remaining years of the decade. The Government is committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable are enabled to benefit from economic recovery through activation programmes and services. Targeting policies and resources at the groups which carry the greatest burden of poverty, notably jobless households and children, will continue to be a policy priority as is reflected in the commitment to set sub-targets for these groups.
