Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 17 and 24 together.

I too had a good meeting with the ombudsman about that report and we discussed his ideas in detail. The Department of Social Protection leads on the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020–2025, which is aimed at reducing poverty and improving social inclusion. Under the roadmap, a new child poverty target is being agreed. Addressing child poverty was identified as a priority action under Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and will remain a priority in the successor framework being developed by my Department.

Significant advancements can be made through my Department’s co-ordination of the EU child guarantee, an important initiative that aims to combat social exclusion by guaranteeing access for children who are in need of a range of key services. I will publish our national action plan for the child guarantee by March next year. The commitments under the guarantee go to the heart of the child poverty agenda, given they deal with free access to early childhood education and care, education, healthcare for children in need, healthy nutrition including a healthy meal each school day and adequate housing.

Tackling child poverty and effectively implementing the child guarantee will require the commitment and active participation of my colleagues across government to ensure it is collaborative, integrated and, ultimately, impactful. As part of the child guarantee process and in developing the successor national policy framework to Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, I will engage with my Cabinet colleagues to consider the most appropriate and effective structures to pursue the reforms necessary to improve outcomes for our most disadvantaged children.

As for child poverty-focused structures, I have an open mind on the question of an Oireachtas committee or other form of co-ordination mechanism. My Department recently established a new EU and international unit, which, among other responsibilities, will lead on the co-ordination across government of the necessary actions emerging from the EU child guarantee. This will enable us to pursue a coherent agenda in regard to child poverty.

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