Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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889. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which she has evaluated and identified incidents of child poverty with a view to achieving satisfactory support and intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24044/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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In recognition of the higher risks and life-long consequences of child poverty, the Government set a child-specific poverty target in Better Outcomes, Better Future: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young Peopleto reduce consistent child poverty by at least two-thirds by 2020. This figure currently represents 100,000 children.

In order to understand and improve the lives of our children, my Department commissioned the Growing Up in Ireland study. The study examines the lives of Irish children from a wide range of perspectives including economic vulnerability. My department is also developing a national indicator set to track progress against the five national outcomes in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futureincluding Outcome 4: Economic security and opportunity, which covers the issue of child poverty.

The Government acknowledges the challenge in successfully achieving the child poverty target, but remains committed to meeting it. I believe that having an ambitious target and actively monitoring this will provide a roadmap towards which we can develop and implement a strong multi-dimensional policy response.

The Department of Social Protection has the lead role in coordinating government strategies on child poverty. It also has lead responsibility for the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion and has identified child poverty as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed. Officials in my Department are working very closely with the Department of Social Protection in informing the plan for this cross-sectoral priority.

As part of its role in implementing Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, my Department has identified prevention and early intervention as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed in conjunction with a sub-group of the Advisory Council.

My Department addresses this priority through three levels. Firstly, it co-finances, with The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-2017) to the combined value of €29.7m. The ABC Programme is designed to prevent inter-generational poverty through area based programmes with a strong prevention and early intervention focus. The ABC Programme has a strong evaluation component allowing us to identify the programmes, initiatives and approaches which impact positively on children's outcomes. Secondly, it is developing the Quality and Capacity Building Initiative that aims to mainstream existing and emerging learning from initiatives such as ABC Programme and secure a system-wide change in children and young people services. Thirdly, it also supports the implementation of priorities by other Departments such as homelessness and child poverty that are relevant in the context of preventing and reversing poor outcomes among children.

There are also a number of areas of focus that support our response to child poverty within my Department. These include:

- €345 million invested annually on early childhood care and education and after-school support programmes which provide care to 100,000 children;

- €51m allocated to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector for 2016;

In addition, Tusla delivers a range of services focusing on the welfare, protection and support for children, young people and their families which are key to supporting outcomes which assist in reducing the impact of child poverty.