Ms Anna Shakespeare:

I thank the committee for the invitation to attend this meeting on the important agenda of child poverty. I am chief executive of Pobal, and am accompanied by my colleague Dr. Margaret Rogers, national manager, better start national early years quality development.

Pobal works on behalf of Government, managing funding and providing support for approximately 31 programmes in the areas of social inclusion and equality, inclusive employment and enterprise and early learning and care. Pobal does not have a role in policymaking but we support Government in its decision-making by providing it with evidence such as good practice case studies, evaluations, demographic information and programme data that can serve to inform Departments in their policy decision-making.

Pobal’s deprivation index is Ireland’s primary social gradient tool, used by numerous State agencies and Departments for the geographic identification of disadvantage and targeting of resources towards communities most in need. Practical examples of its application include assisting in the development of the recently launched core funding model for early learning and care and school-age childcare, resource allocation modelling for city and county childcare committees and the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP.

Pobal’s role in early learning and care and school-age care includes: operational programme administration and funding of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme; the national childcare scheme, NCS; the access and inclusion model, AIM; as well as better start quality development and learning support for service providers and research support for the early years sector

Pobal manages or supports a number of other programmes which help address child poverty through the provision of funding for services for children and young people around education and training and through improved employment and labour market access for families and other measures aimed at tackling social exclusion and providing health and well-being supports. Examples of Pobal’s role in these areas include: supporting SICAP, which includes three particular groups where child poverty might feature; administering the community services programme, CSP; and managing the allocation of funding for the Healthy Ireland programme.

Through targeted supports to the early years sector, the administration and management of the social inclusion and community development programmes and supports provided to community and voluntary organisations working with children, youth, marginalised and excluded groups, Pobal contributes to the achievement of Government's ambition around the alleviation of child poverty and the promotion of safe, inclusive and healthy communities across Ireland.

We are very conscious that this is one of a number of meetings the committee is convening on child poverty, and we have submitted some additional resources that may be of value to the committee as it explores this agenda. Thank you again, Chair, for the opportunity to appear today. We are happy to take any questions members may have that would be of assistance to the committee.