Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will report on the findings of the recent survey on income and living conditions (details supplied) collated by the Central Statistics Office and published in January 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9299/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The European Council meeting at Laeken in December 2001 endorsed a set of 18 common statistical indicators for measuring social inclusion. Across EU member states the EU survey on income and living conditions, EU-SILC, is the principal source for compiling data on many of these indicators. Ireland was among the first set of five countries to introduce EU-SILC in 2003 and was the first country to publish its findings. EU-SILC is a new survey of private households conducted by the CSO under EU legislation. It replaces the Living in Ireland survey, which was conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, until 2001.

The 2003 report, published on 24 January 2005, presents the first set of results from the survey on the basis of data collected from June to December 2003. This survey used a different methodology to that employed in earlier surveys. It is a fact that different surveys give different results. Therefore, the apparent differences that emerged in the consistent poverty measure between the new EU-SILC results and the earlier 2001 Living in Ireland survey do not suggest any radical increase in poverty rates in Ireland between 2001 and 2003. Both the CSO and the ESRI have assured me that the figures are not comparable and that it is therefore not possible to conclude from them whether the rates for consistent poverty went up or down or remained unchanged.

There is certainly no reason to believe that there has been a worsening in poverty levels in recent years. Between 2001 and 2005, spending on social welfare increased from €7.8 billion to €12.2 billion. During the same period the lowest social welfare rates increased by 40% while the consumer price index increased by just over13%. As a result of the budget for 2005, welfare payments increased by three times the expected rate of inflation. The real improvement resulting from these developments is commented on in the EU-SILC survey.

Nevertheless, what is not in question are the groups who are identified as being most at risk. The EU-SILC survey confirms the findings of earlier analyses in this regard and provides information on the most vulnerable groups in society towards whom policy should be focused. A key message from the survey is that, despite the extremely positive and targeted action taken by the Government and the record levels of spending on social welfare, there continue to exist vulnerable groups who struggle on the margins of society. It is, therefore, necessary to intensify the efforts being made to eradicate poverty and social exclusion, particularly with regard to persons in these vulnerable groups.

The findings of this survey are a valuable contribution to the comprehensive research already undertaken into income, living standards and the extent of poverty in Ireland. The release of the EU-SILC results has also provided an impetus for the re-evaluation of the consistent poverty deprivation indicator and this issue is now being considered in the context of the national anti-poverty strategy data strategy. A meeting will take place in the near future between the office for social inclusion, based in my Department, other relevant Departments and agencies and statistical experts to consider this issue and how to progress it. Furthermore, the ongoing annual survey results from EU-SILC will help to provide a context for the monitoring and development of Government policy on combating poverty and social exclusion and for more effective international comparison of poverty levels over time.