Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2019
61. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to a new campaign (details supplied) by an organisation and its five key demands relating to food poverty, health, exclusion, education and housing; the way in which she plans to respond to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6986/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of this new campaign and the five key demands in relation to food poverty, health, exclusion, education and housing.
These key issues highlighted during the campaign involve various Government Departments. My Department works closely with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which has the lead role in co-ordinating strategies on poverty and the National Plan for Social Inclusion, but reducing poverty among children and others, also involves the Department of the Department of Education and the Department of Health, among others. We are adopting a cross Government approach which is for the benefit of children.
This work is reflected through the comprehensive policy framework Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, led by my Department, and underpinned by actions which are making a real difference on the ground for children, including those most vulnerable.
The ‘Whole-of-Government Approach to Tackling Child poverty’ paper, published in 2017, involved the active input of the National Advisory Council for children and young people and other key non-governmental organisations.
In recognition of the higher risks and life-long consequences of child poverty, the Government set a child-specific poverty target in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures to reduce consistent child poverty by at least two-thirds on 2011 levels by 2020.
This target has been actioned through a whole-of-Government approach. The plan identifies six priority area for actions, namely: 1) providing universal access to general practitioner care for those under 18 years; 2) reducing the cost of education; 3) housing; 4) affordable childcare; 5) labour activation; and 6) the provision of in-work benefits. My own focus has been on affordable childcare.
In my portfolio as Minister for Children, I have had the opportunity to secure significant public investment in high quality, affordable childcare and early learning. The annual investment has increased by 117% since 2015. Our early years schemes operate on policy that provide the highest level of subsidization to families with the lowest incomes.
I believe it is important that we have progress indicators that accurately reflect the policy interventions and the improvements they are delivering.
The latest data from the 2017 Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) shows a significant reduction in the consistent poverty rate for children, which decreased from 10.9% in 2016 to 8.8% in 2017, a reduction of just over 2 percentage points, and is the second highest reduction in the rate since the collection of SILC data began in 2004. This equates to a drop of 24,000 children living in consistent poverty over that 12-month period.
I have continually emphasised the importance of eradicating child poverty and hunger and that collective and cross-sectoral action is critical in ensuring policy impact.
In November 2018, I hosted a high level workshop focusing on child poverty which deliberated on how the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework could help to end child poverty and hunger in Ireland. The workshop attended by senior officials from all Government Departments represented at the BOBF Consortium, the BOBF Advisory Council, ESRI and other research centres, the civil society and academia resonated the importance of eradicating child poverty and hunger as well as the need for cross-Government work to achieve this.
This cross-Government approach will continue and we will redouble our efforts to continue with the progress made in the recent years.
It is my intention to meet with the Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance in the coming weeks to discuss this campaign and how we can continue to focus on and address these important issues.
