Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of the population regarded as being in consistent poverty; when he expects the targeted reductions to be met; the principal reason they have not been met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32181/07]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the progress on reforms outlined in the programme for Government to continue to support the office of social inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32284/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 131 together.

Information on poverty levels, deprivation and social exclusion is provided in the EU survey on income and living conditions, which is conducted on an annual basis by the Central Statistics Office. The most recent results were published on 28 November and refer to 2006. Data from the survey indicate that the overall consistent poverty rate has reduced from 8.2 % in 2003, when the survey was first introduced, to 6.5 % in 2006. This figure refers to an updated version of the consistent poverty measure, which was developed by the ESRI. The revised measure is more realistic and in keeping with living standards today than the indicators considered appropriate for the earlier national anti-poverty plans. It forms the basis for the overall poverty reduction goal in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016, which is to reduce the number of persons experiencing consistent poverty to between 2% and 4% by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016. The recent survey results show that we are on track to meet this target.

The NAP inclusion plan sets out a wide-ranging and comprehensive programme of actions over the period to 2016 to continue to reduce poverty and achieve the overall consistent poverty goal. The plan adopts a lifecycle stage approach, in line with Towards 2016, with specific, measurable goals set for each group — children, people of working age, older people and people with disabilities and their communities. The plan contains 12 high-level strategic goals in key priority areas supported by over 150 targets and actions, with a programme of action to meet them during the period 2007-16. It has a particular focus on the effective delivery and implementation of quality public services for each stage of the lifecycle. The targets cover the broad spectrum of services including education, health and long-term care, housing, income support, employment supports, early childhood development and care, transport, and sport and culture. The first annual social inclusion report, launched last month, shows that progress is being made and that social inclusion targets are on track for 2006-07.

The continued reduction and eventual elimination of poverty remains a top priority for the Government and the programme for Government prioritises the objectives of the NAP inclusion plan. To this end, the Government continues to support the office for social inclusion which has a key co-ordinating role in the social inclusion agenda. The office, which is located within my Department, has overall responsibility for the development, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the NAP inclusion plan and on the social inclusion chapter of the national development plan. This includes co-ordinating the social inclusion process across Departments, agencies, regional and local Government and implementing key support functions, including the use of poverty impact assessments by Government Departments, local authorities and statutory agencies in the development of policies and programmes. The office is currently working with Government Departments on implementing revised guidelines for poverty impact assessment. The office also has a co-ordinating role in supporting research on poverty and its causes and on the development of a data strategy to better support measurement of the outcomes being achieved under the two plans.

My aim, in working with Government to deliver the NAP inclusion programme over the coming years, is to build on the significant and visible progress already made in reducing poverty and material deprivation and to deliver real improvements in living standards and well-being for the most vulnerable in our society.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The survey to which the Minister refers shows that consistent poverty has remained static at approximately 7% for the past two years. What does the Minister think are the principal reasons that little or no progress has been made in reducing that rate? Does he accept the real scandal is that 96,000 children live in poverty and that little or no progress has been made on reducing that number? Will the Minister guarantee that in tomorrow's budget and his work over the coming year he will target that unacceptable level of child poverty and put the same attention and focus into tackling that problem as he put into tackling poverty among pensioners? I give him credit for tackling that problem successfully and reducing the rate. The key poverty issue must now be children. Can the Minister guarantee he will give that his full attention in the coming year?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am not in a position to disclose tomorrow's budget. One child in consistent poverty is one too many, let alone 96,000. Deputy Shortall raised an important point and it gets to the nub of the matter. The issue for many agencies and voluntary organisations is not just about money from my Department. There is a range of issues on how the agencies operate and how we can get unemployed people from families that have been consistently unemployed and single and lone parents into the workforce. Many voluntary agencies are talking about this matter. As I said in my response, that is being worked through to target the resources, including human resources in my Department working with the agencies to interact on a one-to-one basis with these people, which is a huge undertaking. We aim to explain how these people are there and how we can get them to move on, particularly into some form of employment. This offers them the best way out of poverty and can have a significant impact on how they see the world and their lives, how they live their lives and the quality of their and their children's lives. Over the past number of years, the Government has put significant, targeted resources into working with all concerned to achieve that. We will continue to build on that in tomorrow's budget.