Ms Suzanne Connolly:

I will give a few examples of services which we think are crucial in the context of tackling child poverty. First, I want to talk about the teen parenting project, a national project for which Barnados runs some services. I will give an example of where this is working very effectively. The aim of one of the programmes we run is to ensure young mothers who become pregnant remain in school. The idea is that if they remain in school, not only are they good role models for their own children but also it is hoped they will also be able to gain employment and their children will have more opportunities. A good example concerns one of the teen mothers who went through our service successfully and went on to train to be a teacher herself. She came back to give grinds to other young mothers going through the service. That is a really effective system which is working both for children and their parents.

Another example is our Tús Maith programme, which is a comprehensive early years programme. It views children in terms of their holistic needs. Children who come from very disadvantaged backgrounds often live in poverty of expectation as much as poverty of income. With the opportunity to have an intensive high quality service, it can enable them to learn and develop, as well as increasing their expectations of themselves in small ways. Those crucial years from birth to five can often set children up for life. From feedback from schools, we realise that children who have been through that intensive programme are better able to settle in school and benefit from it.

It is also important to work alongside vulnerable parents throughout a child's life. Some parents will need support throughout their child's life to encourage them to remain in school and to have high expectations for them. This is particularly the case for vulnerable parents who are dealing with alcohol and drug addiction and mental health issues. It is crucial they get the required support.

In some cases, parents are unable or unwilling to make the necessary changes. In those situations we would target much of our work towards the children or young people themselves. That is where other services come in through local initiatives - perhaps through sport or a really good teacher - which can give them a sense of themselves. A range of measures is required to impact on the lives of children and young people.