Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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80. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will establish an urgent interdepartmental task force to address the escalating national crisis of child poverty in view of the fact that, according to the most recent SILC report 2015, a child is now more than four times more likely to live in poverty based on their family status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7026/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The reduction of children's poverty is a key political priority for me as a Minister. I have devoted all of my professional life in Ireland to the development of community based approaches to tackle children's poverty and designing and delivering effective prevention and early intervention strategies to do same.

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 Futures: 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. The rate of consistent poverty among children has fallen to 11.5%, from 12.7% in 2014.

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. In recognition of the fact that child poverty is a multi-faceted problem, this group 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 produced 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.

My Department is developing a Single Affordable Childcare Scheme to provide families with good quality childcare at a cost they can afford. Budget 2017 provided additional funding for the scheme’s development and initial roll-out, to include both a targeted and a universal element. Subsidies will be available for children aged from 6 months up to 15 years and will meet families’ full-time and part-time childcare needs, including outside of school hours and during school holiday time. The highest levels of subsidy will be provided to those on low incomes, helping families to overcome disadvantage and contribute to a reduction in child poverty.

This paper will be discussed at the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium in February, which includes representatives from all government departments, and is responsible for whole of government implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.