Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance 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. [24107/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the poverty proofing exercise was reviewed last year by the Office of Social Inclusion. This led to an updating and re-titling of the process as Poverty Impact Assessment. A Poverty Impact Assessment is required for significant policy or programme proposals. One area where my Department has been to the forefront of progress in relation to poverty impact assessment is in the examination of the taxation measures contained in the annual Budget.

The personal taxation measures and social welfare rate increases and other social welfare changes contained in the Budget are examined using the poverty impact assessment guidelines published by the Office for Social Inclusion. The personal taxation and social welfare measures contained in each of the Budgets since Budget 2001 were examined using the national anti-poverty strategy guidelines which were the forerunner of the poverty impact assessment guidelines. The results of these examinations are recorded in the Budget booklets for each of the years in question.

The best practice guidance in relation to Value for Money and Policy Reviews, which was published by my Department in March 2007, highlights the importance of taking into account Poverty Impact Assessment as part of the evaluation criteria in reviews carried out under this initiative.

Social Inclusion is an important horizontal theme in the Government's priorities. The National Strategic Reference Framework approved by the Government in February 2007 and the Operational Programmes will as far as possible incorporate measures to ensure Social Inclusion and minimise the effects of Social Exclusion in the implementation of the Operational Programmes. Interventions under the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme in particular will be designed to increase the participation and activation of groups outside the workforce including young people, early school leavers, people with disabilities, migrants, travellers and adults experiencing literacy problems.

The implementation of poverty impact assessments for all policies covered by the National Development Plan is a matter for line Departments in the first instance. Combating social exclusion is one of the key aims of the NDP with an entire Sectoral Priority devoted to it. Some €49.6bn will be invested under the Social Inclusion Priority over the 7 years of the Plan. Departments will also be asked to indicate each year the impact of relevant Sub-Programme investment on promoting social inclusion.