Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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675. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will establish a cross-departmental task force to address a crisis (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7230/17]

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 People 2014-2020 to reduce consistent child poverty by at least two-thirds by 2020. This figure currently represents 102,000 children.

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures is a whole of Government policy framework, which requires all Departments and Agencies to work collaboratively to improve outcomes for children and young people. The Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium, which I chair, has responsibility for whole of Government implementation, and includes representatives from all government Departments and Agencies.

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 closely with the Department of Social Protection in informing the development of this cross-sectoral priority.

Officials in the Department of Social Protection have co-convened a subgroup with members of the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures to progress solutions to child poverty. This included representatives from NGOs with a focus on the issues facing lone parents.

In recognition of the fact that child poverty is a multi-faceted problem, this group also includes officials from other Departments, including the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills.

Led by the Department of Social Protection, this group has developed a paper which outlines a whole of Government approach to tackling child poverty. This is based around the three pillars outlines in the EU Recommendation on Investing in Children:

- Access to adequate resources

- Access to affordable quality services

- Children’s right to participate.

This paper covers issues relating to my Department, such as childcare, prevention and early intervention and family support, as well as issues in other Departments, such as healthcare inequalities, DEIS schools, and income supports. It also recognises that children of lone parents are particularly at risk of poverty.

This paper will be discussed at the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium in February.