Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 168: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position on methods to deal with child poverty in our society. [7230/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Tackling child poverty continues to be one of the key priorities of this Government. It is also one of the special initiatives under the partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress. The Government recognises the importance of supporting and protecting families and children and is fully committed to achieving the NAPS target of eliminating consistent poverty amongst children.

The most significant measure to tackle child poverty by my Department has been the substantial increases in child benefit payments. Between 1997 and April 2005, when the budget increases will take effect, the rate of child benefit will have risen from €38.09 per month for the first two children and €49.52 for each child thereafter to €141.60 per month for each of the first two children and to €177.30 per month for the third and each subsequent child.

The family income supplement provides cash support by way of weekly payments to families, including lone parent families, at work on low pay. Improvements to the scheme, including the assessment of entitlements on the basis of net rather than gross income and the progressive increases in the income limits, have made it easier for lower income households to qualify under the scheme.

In order to address the situation of those children most at risk of poverty, I am giving serious consideration to the introduction of a second tier of supports, in addition to the child benefit and other support entitlements, aimed specifically at families in greatest need. Linked to this particularly are the vulnerable circumstances of many lone parents, who are mostly women. The existing support systems will be scrutinised over the coming months and changes considered to better reflect the needs of this group. My Department is participating in an interdepartmental working group on early child care and education, chaired by the National Children's Office. The work of this committee is at an advanced stage and the outcome will make an important contribution to finding the right mix of services and income support to facilitate employment take up and care for children. My Department is also involved in efforts to develop a strategy to eliminate obstacles to employment for lone parents.

The causes of poverty among children and its effects are multi-faceted requiring a multi-policy response. The national action plan to combat poverty and social exclusion details these policies across a number of Government Departments. A wide range of data is required in effectively monitoring, evaluating and further developing such policies. It is for that reason that my Department and the Department of Health and Children, through the National Children's Office, are jointly funding a national longitudinal study on children. The study will be the most significant of its kind to be undertaken here, particularly in terms of the cost, scope and length of study period. It is anticipated that 10,000 children from birth and 8,000 children aged nine will be recruited to participate in the study.

The aim of the study is to examine the factors which contribute to, or undermine, the well-being of children in contemporary Irish families. The findings will make a major contribution to the setting of effective and responsive policies relating to children and to the design of services for children and their families. I expect that, following the completion of the tendering process, this study will commence in mid 2005.