Written answers

Thursday, 7 October 2021

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Departmental Policies

Photo of Joe FlahertyJoe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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62. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48652/21]

Photo of Joe O'BrienJoe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less. The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments.

Implementation of Roadmap commitments is underway with a number of commitments fully achieved or close to completion and with work ongoing in relation to a number of other commitments. This was achieved against a challenging backdrop with many Departments having to redirect resources during 2020 and 2021 to address the range of social, health, community and economic consequences of COVID-19.

Commitments that have been delivered include:

- The implementation of the National Childcare Scheme.

- The introduction of an additional three weeks of Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit (bringing the total to five weeks).

- The extension of the Hot School Meals programme in 2021, with 189 schools, including 171 DEIS schools, receiving funding.

- The allocation of €5 million the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 to Support and Improve Employment Opportunities for Carers and Persons with a Disability, with funding of in excess of €2.3 million awarded to 17 projects in December 2020.

- The establishment of the Labour Market Advisory Council, which plays a key role in advising the Minister and the Government on the labour market.

The publication of a number of national strategies including:

- The Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy 2020-2024 "Transforming Learning",

- The National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025,

- Our Rural Future: the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025,

- Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025 in July 2021.

The inclusion in Budget 2021 of specific measures to support working families on low incomes including:

- an increase of €10 per week in the Working Family Payment income threshold for families with one, two or three children at an estimated cost of €21.4 million in 2021;

- the removal of the €425 earnings threshold for the One Parent Family Payment at an estimated cost of €3.5 million in 2021;

- an increase in the rates of Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) of €2 to €38 per week for children under 12 and €5 to €45 per week for children 12 years and older, at an estimated cost of €59.2 million in 2021.

A Social Inclusion Roadmap Steering Group (SIRSG) has been established to monitor implementation of the Roadmap commitments across Government. This group is comprised of senior representatives from responsible departments at Assistant Secretary and Principal Officer Level and three external members from the Community and Voluntary sector. As Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion policy and implementation of the Roadmap, I chair the Steering Group. It has met on three occasions since November 2020, with the fourth meeting planned for November 2021.

Progress on implementation of the Roadmap commitments will be reported on an annual basis with the production of an annual report and report card on progress against each commitment. The first annual report is being prepared for publication. This report will be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality for consideration, and to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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