Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 432: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to date concerning the implementation of the commitment in the programme for Government to adopt a new area based approach to child poverty, initially piloted in ten areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28221/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Tackling child poverty is a priority for Government and a key goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016, coordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they are living in lone parent households with low labour market participation and dependant on income support. The departments of Social Protection, Enterprise, Jobs 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 key objective. 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 undertaking training and participating in employment. The network of 107 family resource centres 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. 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 new Child and Family Support Services Agency.