Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the fact that a total of 290,000 people here including one child in every ten are living in consistent poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21883/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Combating poverty and building an inclusive society are key priorities for the Government. The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion) 2007-2016 and the social inclusion commitments in the National Development Plan were drawn up in consultation with the social partners and after a wide-ranging consultation process with other stakeholders. The NAPinclusion 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 overall goal in the NAPinclusion is to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty from 7 per cent of the population to between 2 per cent and 4 per cent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016.

The plan sets out a wide-ranging and comprehensive programme of actions over the period to achieve the overall consistent poverty goal and to ensure that every person has access to income and resources (material, cultural and social) that are regarded as acceptable by Irish society.

Ending child poverty is a particular priority in the NAPinclusion. Four of the twelve high level goals in the NAPinclusion focus on education initiatives and adequate income supports for children. Detailed action targets cover health, education, income support, early childhood development and care and participation to ensure that children reach their true potential.

The social welfare commitments in the Programme for Government prioritise the objectives of the NAPinclusion. They include: improvements in the State Pension and the Carers Allowance; more support for lone parents; and improvements in Child Benefit and in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and the School Meals Programme. Support for the Office for Social Inclusion is a key commitment, in particular, for its work to progress the use of poverty impact assessments by government departments, local authorities and statutory agencies in the development of policies and programmes to ensure that the Government's social inclusion agenda is achieved.

My plans, in working with Government to deliver the programme over the coming years, are to build on the significant and visible progress that has been made in reducing poverty in the past 10 years and to deliver real improvements in living standards and well being for the most vulnerable in our society.