Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 16, 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, well-being and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence and the Ministers for Finance, Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Children, Disability and Equality, Health, Social Protection, Education and Youth and Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children, especially those children who need our help most. 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.

Just last week, the Minister for Social Protection and I published the new child poverty target. The target is that, by 2030, no more than 3% of children should be living in consistent poverty. This would be the lowest figure in our history and would put us among the very best performers in Europe. That said, no figure is acceptable in terms of any child being in consistent poverty. 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 that 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. We are looking at a DEIS plus programme to support schools in areas with the most deprivation and disadvantage.

The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and met for the second time recently. It will meet again in the period ahead.

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