Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Deputy and Deputy John Brady a very happy new year. I hope we will have a productive year. I also wish the Leas-Cheann Comhairle a happy new year.

I welcome the CSO survey of income and living conditions results for 2016 because they show improvements in living conditions and tackling poverty. In 2016 incomes rose by 3.1%, mainly due to rising employment, while the deprivation rate fell for the second year running. We have now lifted 7,000 more children out of what we call consistent poverty.

By 2016, each of the rates quoted in the question was down substantially from its peak in 2012-13. I am very grateful for this. The number of children living in consistent poverty was down from 12.8% to 11%; the number of children at risk of poverty was down from 20.3% to 19%, while the number of children experiencing deprivation was down from 37% to 25%. While I welcome these figures, they are still not good enough and will not be good enough until they are down significantly.

Excluding pensions, the social welfare system continued to perform strongly in 2016, with the at-risk-of-poverty rate being reduced from 33.6% before social transfers to 16.5% after social transfers. This equates to a poverty reduction effect of 51%, ensuring Ireland remains one of the best performing countries in the European Union in reducing the incidence of poverty through the social transfers system.

The entire impact of the recovery is not fully reflected in the most recent data which relate to incomes in the period from 2015 to 2016. Macroeconomic and labour market indicators have shown continued economic and employment growth since. The unemployment rate fell from 9.4% in mid-2015 to 6.1% towards the end of 2017. The number in receipt of working age income and employment supports has also continued to fall. In addition, budget 2018 introduced increases in a range of supports, including an increase of €5 per week in the maximum weekly rate for people of working age and young jobseekers and pensioners, with proportionate increases for adult dependants and an increase of €2 per week in the qualified child dependant allowance which had not been increased in the previous eight years. We all have to agree that these increases are aimed at assisting those individuals and families most in need.

The Government’s strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion is set out in the national action plan for social inclusion. The plan identifies a wide range of targeted actions and interventions to achieve the overall objective of reducing the level of consistent poverty. My Department is reviewing the plan in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

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