Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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153. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if his Department has carried out any research or analysis on implementing a child poverty reduction Act, similar to the Act introduced in Scotland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21713/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020–2025 is the national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion. It includes a goal of reducing child poverty in Ireland and ensuring that all families have the opportunity to participate fully in society.

The Roadmap commits to setting a new national child poverty target and this was reiterrated. The Mid-Term Review of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion published in June 2023 committed to undertaking a public consultation as part of this process.

A full public consultation was undertaken with 10 submissions received from a range of organisations and stakeholders.

As part of the development of the new target my officials have also reviewed available data and research and looked at how poverty targets are set and implemented internationally, including the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

In recent months the Department of the Taoiseach has convened meetings, which my officials have attended, with several stakeholders, including the ESRI and CSO, to discuss the Child Poverty Target and potential measures that can reduce child poverty.

I expect to be in a position to bring forward proposals on the setting of a new national child poverty target in the near future. While income supports are important, access to affordable and available services (housing, health, childcare, education etc.) plays an equally strong and potentially more sustainable role in addressing child poverty.