Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures that are being taken to reduce child poverty; the impact of these measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6099/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A key priority for this Government is the reduction of all forms of poverty, and particularly child poverty.Budget 2023 provided a social welfare package worth almost €2.2 billion which included a range of measures to support children. This included a double payment of Child Benefit to all families, a €500 cost of living lump sum payment to all families in receipt of the Working Family Payment and an Autumn and Christmas double payment for most weekly payment recipients. Since last month personal; rates of payment on working age schemes have been increased by €12 per week. In addition, the Increase for a Qualified Child has been increased to €42 where the child is under age 12 and to €50 where the child is 12 or over.

Additional funding of €9m was also provided for the Hot School Meal programme, bringing the total budget to €94.4m. The number of schools with access to the Hot School Meal option has increased from 37 to over 500 since my appointment.

While income supports play a central role in addressing poverty, a whole of Government approach is required. Access to affordable services such as housing, health, childcare and education are also essential.

With this in mind, the National Childcare scheme saw an increase in the universal subsidy rate from €0.50 per hour to €1.40 per hour in this year's Budget. Furthermore, from September 2023, free schoolbooks and related classroom resources will be supplied to all pupils in recognised primary schools. This is expected to benefit approximately 540,000 pupils.

Between 2011 and 2021, the number of children in consistent poverty fell by 45,000 to 62,000, and the consistent poverty rate fell by 4.1 percentage points from 9.3 per cent to 5.2 per cent in 2021. So, we can see that the measures taken to date have had a positive impact although we still have further to go.

The Roadmap commits us to setting a new child poverty target. My Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth are working together to progress this in the context of the development of a new Policy Framework for Children and Young People.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Taoiseach is establishing a new Child Poverty and Wellbeing Unit in his Department. The aim of this new unit is to build on what has already been achieved and provide greater focus to improving the lives and wellbeing of all children in Ireland.