Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Taoiseach the progress made in his Department on the roll out of the poverty impact assessment to ensure that all policies are evaluated in terms of their potential impact on poverty and social inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24112/07]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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Poverty proofing was introduced in 1998 on foot of a commitment in the first National Anti-Poverty Strategy. It is defined as "the process whereby Government policies and programmes are assessed at design, implementation and review stages in relation to their impact on poverty and on inequalities which are likely to lead to poverty, with a view to poverty reduction". The Cabinet Handbook, published by my Department, includes a requirement that Memoranda for Government should indicate clearly, as appropriate, the impact of significant policy proposals for persons experiencing or at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Following a review of the poverty proofing process, the Office for Social Inclusion produced a revised set of guidelines for what is now termed Poverty Impact Assessment. This change of name is intended to underline that the emphasis in the process should be on outcomes and that poverty impact assessment should form an integral part of the policy making process. The revised guidelines are designed to better assist policy makers across all levels of Government in evaluating policy proposals in terms of their potential impact on poverty. They include a number of new steps to make the process more useful and transparent and a requirement to monitor the impact of any policy change.

Last year, the Office for Social Inclusion held an information meeting in my Department which provided an opportunity to introduce policy-makers to the new Guidelines and to seek feedback about their application. The implications of policy proposals for poverty are routinely assessed in my Department, in accordance with Cabinet Handbook procedures, and the new Poverty Impact Assessment guidelines are helping to inform that process. Departments, including my own Department, are working closely with the Office for Social Inclusion to further refine the new guidelines in the light of experience and application.