David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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275. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the United Nations Children's Fund report Innocenti Report Card 12 (details supplied); the responsibility of her Department in addressing the issues raised, particularly the reduction of child poverty; her plans to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22493/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The indicator of poverty used in the UNICEF report is misleading and does not capture the actual level of child poverty in Ireland using official indicators.

The official indicator of poverty in Ireland is consistent poverty. The rate of consistent poverty for children in 2013 was 11.7 per cent, based on official statistics from the Central Statistics Office. This compares with an average of 8.7 per cent for the years preceding the crisis (2005-2008).

Using the at-risk-of-poverty measure, 17.9 per cent of children were in poverty in 2013, which is less than the average figure of 20.8 per cent in the years preceding the crisis. Using this indicator, Ireland is ranked 9^thbest of the 28 EU member states, well below the average. Furthermore, through social transfers, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for children is reduced by 60 per cent. Ireland is the third best performing of the 28 EU member states in this regard.

The Government has already adopted a key recommendation of the UNICEF report - to make an explicit commitment to end child poverty - by setting a child poverty target in April 2014, which is to lift 70,000 children out of poverty by 2020. Under Better Outcomes, Better Futures, the Government is implementing a multi-dimensional approach to child poverty.

The Department of Social Protection helps to prevent child poverty by providing a comprehensive range of income supports for families, amounting to €3 billion in 2014. In Budget 2015, the Government committed a further €96 million for children, including an increase of €5 per month in child benefit.

In order to break the cycle of child poverty, the Government is investing in prevention and early intervention services targeted at disadvantaged children through the Area Based Childhood programme and the DEIS programme.

Finally, through Pathways to Work and the Action Plan on Jobs, the Government is helping families to get back into work, supported by in-work benefits such as the family income supplement and new back to work family dividend.