Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his priorities, in view of his statement that he wants to make a decisive impact on poverty, for achieving same; the progress made on each of these individual priorities to date; the estimated cost of each of his targets per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28891/07]

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, published in February 2007 and the social inclusion commitments in the National Development Plan (NDP) were drawn up in consultation with the social partners and after a wide ranging consultation process with other stakeholders. The NAPinclusion adopts a life cycle 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. It sets out a demanding and detailed programme of action across all government departments and their agencies to meet these goals and targets.

The first Annual Social Inclusion Report which will be published later this week at the annual Social Inclusion Forum, shows that, even at this early stage in the 10 year strategy process, the intended progress is being made and the social inclusion targets are on track for 2006/2007. The overall poverty goal in the NAPinclusion is to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2 per cent and 4 per cent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016. To this end, 12 high level goals have been set across relevant policy areas and some 150 targets identified.

Establishing the cost of progressively meeting the individual targets underpinning the priority goal in the NAPinclusion is complex and would have to have regard to other targets in the Plan as well as wider socioeconomic factors including demographic change, price and earnings inflation and developments in labour force participation rates. However in addition to income support, some €49.6 billion has been provided under the social inclusion priority of the NDP for the period up to 2013 for priority investment programmes such as pre-school education for children, greater support for lone parents, the long-term unemployed and for people with disabilities in securing access to employment, for older people in relation to community care services, and for communities in providing housing, health services and strategies to assist newcomers to integrate in Irish society.

My priorities and those of the NAPinclusion are reflected in the Programme for Government. They include; improvements in support for Lone Parents; in the State Pension and the Carers Allowance, 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 and the delivery of public services to ensure that the Government's social inclusion agenda is achieved.

The NAPinclusion forms the framework of goals, objectives and targets within which I will frame my proposals, and priorities, in relation to social welfare for this and succeeding budgets. I am confident that the pursuit of this strategic approach for social welfare and the other relevant policy areas will make a decisive impact in relation to current levels of poverty over the next 10 years.