John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to tackle child poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39587/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (Better Outcomes Brighter Futures) - BOBF - is the first overarching national policy framework for children and young people (aged 0-24 years), led by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The purpose of this framework is to coordinate policy across Government to achieve better outcomes for children. Under the BOBF framework, child poverty was identified as a priority.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in conjunction with partner Departments has produced a paper detailing the Whole of Government approach to Tackling Child Poverty. The paper includes input from relevant Government Departments (Department for Children and Youth Affairs, Department of Education and Skills, Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) in relation to on-going and planned activities. The structure of the paper is informed by the European Commission’s Recommendation on ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, which sets out a robust framework to address child poverty and promote child well-being across three pillars:

- Access to adequate resources;

- Access to affordable quality services; and

- Children’s right to participate.

Social transfers play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and inequality and Ireland is among the best in the EU for reducing poverty through social transfers will be considering steps to further improve the poverty-alleviation effect of social transfers in the forthcoming Budget.

However, reducing child poverty is not just about income supports and welfare. Rather, it is also about supporting parents to make the transition into employment. The actions identified in the Action Plan for Jobless Households including the extension of employment supports to qualified adults will also contribute to the reduction of child poverty.

This is why the whole of Government approach emphasises the need for a combined approach to tackling child poverty levels in Ireland, involving both income supports and services.