Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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50. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of children in consistent poverty at the start of each of the past five years to 2015 to date; the target for reduction in each year; and the actual number at the end of each year. [39775/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The consistent poverty rates for children for the latest five-year period for which data are available are set out in the table. As well as year to year trends, it is also important to look at trends over the medium term. The average rate of child poverty in the period since the economic crisis commenced (2009-201) was 9.7 per cent, as compared with an average rate of 8.7 per cent in the years preceding the crisis (2005-2008).

The Government adopted a child poverty target in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The national policy framework for children and young people 2014-2020. This aims to lift 70,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020, equivalent to a reduction of two-thirds on the 2011 rate. This is a medium term target and is not broken down into annual components.

Progress towards the child poverty is monitored in the Social Inclusion Monitor. The 2013 Monitor indicates that c 100,000 children have to be lifted out of consistent poverty to meet the target by 2020.

In support of the target, the Government is implementing a whole-of-government approach to tackling child poverty, building on the life-cycle approach in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, 2007-2016and informed by the European Commission Recommendation on ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage’. A range of government departments and other stakeholders are involved in implementing this approach.

In Budget 2016, the Government committed over €200 million to support families with children through higher income supports and increased provision of early childhood care and education and other forms of childcare. The social impact assessment of Budget 2016 shows that households with children are the biggest beneficiaries, in particular working lone parents. The published data does not yet go beyond 2013 so it does not reflect these measures.

Consistent poverty rates for children, 2009 to 2013