Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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710. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the Government's child poverty target; the likelihood of this target being reached within the timeframe set; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54157/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The national social target for poverty reduction agreed by Government in 2012 is to reduce consistent poverty to 4% by 2016 and to 2% or less by 2020. There is a specific child poverty sub-target which is to lift over 70,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020 (from a 2011 baseline of 111,000).

In the event, the number of children in consistent poverty rose sharply after 2011, to a peak of 152,000 in 2014, before falling back to 139,000 in 2015. Some 102,000 children would have to be lifted out of consistent poverty between 2015 and 2020 to meet the 2020 child poverty target.

However, the full impact of the recovery is not reflected in the most recent data, which relate to 2015. Macro-economic and labour market indicators have shown continued economic and employment growth since then. Unemployment has fallen from 9.4% in mid-2015 to 6.1% now. The number of people in receipt of working-age income and employment supports has also continued to fall. In addition, Budget 2018 introduced increases in a range of supports including €5 per week increases in the maximum weekly rate for working-age people and young jobseekers and for pensioners, with proportionate increases for adult dependents and an increase of €2 per child per week for qualified child dependents. These increases will assist those individuals and families who are most in need.

Given the continuing economic recovery throughout 2016 and 2017 and measures introduced in Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018, I expect the figures for those years, when they become available, to show further improvement over the 2015 outcomes. I will continue to work with my Government colleagues to ensure that the economic recovery is experienced in all regions and by all families, households and individuals.

The Government’s strategy for addressing poverty and social exclusion is set out in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion. The Plan identifies a wide range of targeted actions and interventions to achieve the overall objective of reducing consistent poverty, which includes child poverty. My Department is reviewing the Plan, as it reaches the end of its current term this year, with a view to developing an updated plan for future periods. The Department is also reviewing the national social target for poverty reduction, including the child poverty target. This review will be undertaken in consultation with relevant stakeholders.