Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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411. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will ensure the new national child poverty target published 10 September 2025 is made publicly available on gov.ie; the reason it has not been available publicly between the 10 and 15 of September 2025 (inclusive); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49899/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The setting of a new and ambitious Child Poverty Target is a commitment contained in the Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland’s Future. This commitment is also set out in the Government’s national strategy to reduce poverty, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2025-2030.

On 10th September last, based on these commitments, and a public consultation process that took place last year, the Government agreed a new Child Poverty Target of 3% based on consistent poverty (which measures at risk of poverty and deprivation) to be achieved by the end of 2030.

A Memorandum for Government seeking the Government's approval was discussed at Cabinet and following Government approval the Taoiseach and I, issued a press release announcing the new ambitious Child Poverty Target. The press release containing the detail of the Child Poverty Target was published on my Department's website on 10th September and the Press Release continues to be available on my Departments www.gov.ie website. The exact link is as follows:

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This new Child Poverty Target will guide our cross-Government focus to reduce child poverty and ensure investment is targeted at children who need it the most.

Given the complex and multi-faceted nature of child poverty, a whole of Government focus is essential to deliver the new Target.

Targeted cross-Government actions to support the delivery of this Target will be outlined in the successor to the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025, which is being currently developed by my Department, and which will have a key focus on child poverty.