Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will report on the new child poverty target that he recently announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50586/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The setting of a new and ambitious Child Poverty Target is a commitment set out 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 2020-2025.

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% or less, based on consistent poverty (which measures at risk of poverty and deprivation), to be achieved by the end of 2030.

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

The Target is very ambitious, reflecting a reduction of 5.5 percentage points from the current reported child consistent poverty rate of 8.5%, which is based on the Central Statistics Office's Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2024, published in March 2025, that is calculated based on 2023 income data.

In addition, the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach is developing a Dashboard of Indicators of Child Wellbeing, which will enhance the Target and allow for the measurement of child poverty and wellbeing in a holistic manner.

Given the multi-faceted nature of child poverty, a whole of Government focus is essential to deliver the Target. Along with targeted income supports for families and children, which is a key consideration for Budget 2026, we will focus on other key areas such as housing, childcare, education and employment.

This will require significant investment and commitment over the lifetime of this Government and beyond.