Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if legislation will be required to implement the commitment in the programme for Government to adopt a new area based approach to child poverty. [18286/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Government and is a key goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016 which is co-ordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they live in unemployed households or households where there is a low level of paid employment. The Departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation, and Education and Skills, are working to deliver a range of measures aimed at getting people back to work.

As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, improving children's outcomes is a priority concern. Early childhood care and education programmes, in particular those that are aimed at low income families, are important priorities in my Department to enhance children's opportunities for social and educational development and to support parents. The network of 107 family resource centres and other services that are funded by the Family Support Agency, under the remit of my Department, also have an important role in this regard.

These programmes and the results of pilot projects to enhance children's development in Tallaght, Northside and Ballymun, which are jointly funded by my Department with a philanthropic organisation, will inform the Government's plans to develop a new area based approach to child poverty. Any requirements for legislation to underpin the approach will be considered in the deliberative process by Government.

My priority, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is to enhance the role of early intervention and support programmes for the most vulnerable children and their families in the context of the plans and legislative proposals for the new Children and Families Support Services Agency.