Mr. Niall Egan:

I am the assistant secretary general in the Department of Social Protection with responsibility for the corporate division, which includes the social inclusion aspect. I am joined by my colleague Mr. Rónán Hession, who is the assistant secretary general with responsibility for working age policy in the Department; Ms Karen Kennedy, principal officer; and Ms Denise Ryan, assistant principal officer. I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the joint committee for inviting us here today to discuss matters relating to child poverty.

Consistent poverty is measured by identifying individuals or households who are both at risk of poverty and experience enforced deprivation due to a lack of resources. This means assessing whether a person’s income falls below a certain threshold, which is set at 60% of the national median income, while also determining if they are unable to afford necessities. The use of consistent poverty as a measurement of poverty is reported by the CSO as part of the survey on income and living conditions series.

In September, the Government announced a new ambitious child poverty target. This new target is 3% or less consistent poverty, to be achieved by the end of 2030. This target is ambitious, reflecting a reduction of 5.5% from the current child consistent poverty rate of 8.5%, as reported by the CSO. The Minister for Social Protection has made it clear that no level of child poverty is acceptable and that the new child poverty target will work to focus Government policies on targeting supports at those families who need them most. In addition to the new child poverty target, the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach is developing a dashboard of indicators that will allow for the measurement of child poverty and well-being in an holistic manner across government.

Tackling child poverty will require sustained investment and commitment across government for the remainder of the decade. Budget 2026 contained a social welfare package that consisted of a €10 increase in core weekly social welfare payments and a comprehensive range of measures targeted at reducing child poverty. These targeted measures amount to an investment of €320 million next year and included the largest child support payment increase in the history of the State, which will benefit approximately 330,000 children whose parents are in receipt of a social welfare payment. In addition, families in receipt of the working family payment will become eligible for fuel allowance, there will be a €5 increase in fuel allowance from €33 to €38 per week from January 2026 and a €60 increase in weekly income thresholds for the working family payment for all family sizes. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance will be extended to children aged two and three years if they are eligible for the allowance. The back to work family dividend is to be extended to recipients of disability allowance and blind pension, and there is to be €20 per month increase in the domiciliary care allowance.

Tackling child poverty requires a concerted focus and commitment across Government Departments to tackle what is a multifaceted and complex issue. Measures that will be successful in reducing child poverty can be divided into two broad categories: measures designed to enhance family income and measures that involve the delivery of services designed to enhance quality of life. Guiding the work of Government Departments in tackling poverty is the cross-government anti-poverty strategy, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 to 2025. The Department of Social Protection is currently developing a successor to the current roadmap for social inclusion. The new roadmap for social inclusion will be published in the first half of 2026 and will, for the first time, contain a focus on reducing child poverty, in line with the Government’s new child poverty target.

The programme for Government also includes a range of reform measures in the area of child poverty. The Government will: explore a targeted child benefit payment and examine the interaction this would have with existing targeted supports to reduce child poverty, such as the working family payment and child support payment, and introduce a new working age payment, which will ensure that individuals always see an increase in income when they work or take on additional hours. Draft proposals will be published for full consultation with stakeholders in advance of Government agreeing the final design of the working age payment.

I look forward to the discussion on this important issue and hearing the views of the members of this committee on child poverty. My colleagues and I are happy to answer any questions the committee may have.