Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I thank the Minister for addressing this Adjournment matter. We are at something of a crossroads at the current time regarding the work plan for the European Union over the next ten years. We have had the Lisbon strategy from 2000-10 and we are about to embark on the 2020 strategy from 2010-20. It is in that context that I make my request here tonight that the Irish Government take the initiative and support the proposal by the European Commission for the setting of a European Union target of a reduction of 25% in poverty in the European Union at the next meeting of the European Council. This is a most appropriate year in which to set that target because it is the European year of combatting poverty and social exclusion and it is the beginning of a new decade of planning for the future in the European Union.

The strategy is currently being finalised by the European Commission and it is likely that the votes will be taken in June by the European Council on behalf of the member states on whether it will accept a target regarding poverty. As the Minister knows, many of the non-governmental organisations are supporting the European Commission on this matter. It seems to me that there is not much sense in having a general wish that poverty be reduced unless one actually establishes a target and seeks to reach it.

A target of 25% over ten years is not unattainable, rather, it is realistic. It is a reduction of only 2.5% per annum in poverty in the European Union. When one examines the figures and finds that 79 to 80 million people in the European Union are living in poverty or are at risk of poverty and 90 million children are also affected, it gives a fairly stark picture of the situation within the European Union. There are 300,000 people in Ireland in consistent poverty and 18% of our child population is at risk of poverty. We have every reason to have a strong, targeted policy in the European Union on the reduction of poverty and the promotion of social inclusion.

It would be great if by 2020 we could say that the target of taking 20 million European citizens out of poverty had been achieved. Unless we establish the target there is no way it will be achieved. It must be a set target. Set strategies must be put in place to deal with it. We in Ireland established the Combat Poverty Agency, even though the Government abolished it last year. It was established by Frank Cluskey of the Labour Party in 1975. It was transported to Europe and has been part and parcel of the European approach to dealing with poverty ever since. Frank Cluskey stated that inequality and poverty are linked, and that inequality leads to poverty.

We have a good track record in dealing with poverty in this country. Believe it or not, there was a substantial reduction in poverty during the Celtic tiger years. We made achievements, which we recognise, but one cannot achievement anything without setting targets. This is something which we can do and on which we can take the lead, but we must make a decision almost immediately because if we do not make a decision, make sure it is on the table and get the other members to agree to it by the time of the European Council meeting in June, it is likely it will not be done at all.

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