5 Márta 2013, 13:55
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection tomorrow meets with representatives from the European Anti-Poverty Network to discuss a new fund being set up Europe-wide to combat income inequality and poverty. EAPN Ireland is made up of over two hundred local, regional and national anti-poverty organisations and individuals.
5 March 2013
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “EAPN Ireland, a network of groups and individuals working against poverty, aims to put the fight against poverty at the top of the EU, national and local agendas. The Network made a contribution to the Joint Committee’s consideration of a new European Fund to the Most Deprived. This European Commission initiative will run from 2014 to 2020 with a proposed budget of €2.5bn. The fund will support national schemes whereby food products and basic consumer goods for homeless people or for children are distributed to the most deprived through partner organisations selected by the Member States. Tomorrow’s meeting will allow us to further engage with the EAPN on the establishment of this fund.
“EAPN are also expected to raise the impact of adjustments to the social protection budget on income inequality and poverty. The meeting will be a valuable opportunity to engage constructively with this leading network, which supports the 200 anti-poverty organisations nationwide through training, information, collective action and networking.”
The Committee will also meet with the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn TD to discuss budgetary decisions in the area of education.
Deputy Tuffy continues: “We look forward to the opportunity to engage with Minister Quinn tomorrow on the impact of December's budget on education-related expenditure. Members are expected to raise issues which include falls in the levels of funding to VECs, increases in the student-teacher ratio for PLC courses and the reduction in funding for capitation and related grants to schools in 2013.\"
The public session of this meeting takes place at 1:30 pm tomorrow Wednesday 6 March in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. It will commence with the presentation by the European Anti-Poverty Network. Minister Ruairi Quinn TD is scheduled to brief the Committee from 2:30 pm.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
F: +3531 618 4551
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Clare Daly, Independent
Brendan Griffin, Fine Gael
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Jonathan O'Brien, Sinn Féin
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)
Senators:
Jim D’Arcy
Fidelma Healy Eames
Marie Moloney
Averil Power
Diarmuid Wilson