Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Deputy raised these issues as it gives me an opportunity to set out the Government's commitment in this area. The Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, as the Deputy will know, has set reducing child poverty as her top issue within her Department. The evidence is there that very significant progress is being made. In 2013, the number of children living in consistent poverty was 12.7% and two years ago, in 2017, that percentage had fallen to 8.8%. There has been a reduction, even in those years, of 105,000 children living in consistent poverty. I have no doubt that since 2017, with improving investments in the economy, improving employment opportunities and the policy measures the Government has put in place, those figures will improve.

It is worth recalling some of those measures that are targeting people living in poverty. We have had significant improvement in the qualified child payments in our social welfare code which go to people on the lowest level of income. We have had increased provision for school meals and for school clothing and footwear allowances, again targeting children in greatest need. We have extended GP access and improved the family income supplement now known as the working family payment. Right across the area, particularly in education, of which I am aware, we have put big investments into childcare, under both the Minister, Deputy Zappone, and the Minister, Deputy McHugh. We have strengthened the early childhood provisions, particularly targeting disadvantaged areas and improved support particularly for children with special educational needs who unfortunately are found in greater frequency in many of those disadvantaged areas. We have seen very substantial expansion of both special needs assistants and resource teachers to target those children. There is no doubt that early intervention is really important in continuing the battle against child poverty. I am confident the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, will continue to target this as a top priority for Government. We need to look at innovative policies. I was very pleased to see, among the policy approaches we are taking, clusters of schools in disadvantaged areas come together, for example, with the ARC project. Often children transferring from preschool to primary school can fall through the crevices. A very interesting initiative has been introduced in the constituency of Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, who is seated next to Deputy Joan Collins, to make sure children do not fall through the crevice in that transfer. A lot of good work is going on in this area and I can assure the Deputy we will continue to be committed to delivering more.

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