Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the targets in the national action plan for social inclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32730/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2001-2016 (NAPinclusion) identifies a wide range of targeted actions and interventions to achieve the overall objective of reducing consistent poverty. My Department is currently preparing the third annual report on social inclusion. This report will outline progress in implementing the NAPinclusion over the two-year period from January 2009 to December 2010. It is envisaged that the report will be finalised in early 2012 and it will present a clear picture of progress across all of the various policy areas and the first impact of the current economic downturn during the review period.

One of the key targets in the action plan is the national poverty target to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty to between 2 and 4 per cent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016, from a baseline rate of 7 per cent in 2005. The latest consistent poverty data from the Central Statistics Office relates to 2009, when the rate of consistent poverty was 5.5 per cent. I expect that the CSO will publish data relating to 2010 shortly and this will provide an opportunity to assess the impact of the current economic and fiscal crisis on the consistent poverty indicator.

As stated in the Programme for Government, the elimination of poverty is an objective of this Government and given the challenging economic and fiscal context, the Government initiated a comprehensive review of the national poverty target in order to ensure that it remains appropriate and achievable. As the lead Minister responsible for social inclusion policy, I launched a public consultation on the review of the national poverty target in August 2011 and invited all stakeholders to 'have your say' on the review through a series of local workshops, an on-line survey, meetings with the social partners, and a technical workshop with poverty experts. In addition, the annual Social Inclusion Forum, which I attended, was held in November. Over 100 representatives of community and voluntary groups and people experiencing poverty participated and this gave an opportunity to present views on the review.

I expect that the review of the national poverty target will also be finalised in early 2012 and I will be considering it, together with my cabinet colleagues, as quickly as possible with a view to making the findings publicly available as early as possible next year.