Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for foreign affairs and Defence, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Protection, the Minister for Education and Youth and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children, and especially those children who need our help most. One of the key areas relates to Government ambitions to reduce child poverty and enhance child well-being. The programme for Government commits to retaining the child poverty and well-being office in the Department of the Taoiseach to break down silos between Departments and drive delivery of measures aimed at reducing child poverty. The programme for Government also contains many commitments directly relevant to reducing child poverty and promoting child well-being. These commitments include setting an ambitious child poverty target, progressively increasing the child support payment, expanding eligibility for the fuel allowance to families in receipt of the working family payment and exploring a targeted child benefit payment.

Investment in education is central to this work to address child poverty and disadvantage. The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to building on the work of the DEIS programme, which since 2006 has been operating to tackle educational disadvantage. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and will meet for the second time shortly.

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