Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when he expects to bring forward proposals on a new child poverty target; his views on the measures that will be most impactful in reducing child poverty; if he has considered the introduction of a targeted child benefit payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50588/25]

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 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. Budget 2026 will contain targeted cross-government actions to support delivery of the new Child Poverty Target. My Department is currently also developing the new Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2025-2030, which will have a key focus on child poverty. This Strategy is due to be published in the first half of 2026.

For Budget 2026, the Government has emphasised the importance of directing support to families with children where it is most needed. We know, based on research, that increases in the Child Support Payment and the Working Family Payment are highly effective in tackling child poverty. These payments provide targeted assistance directly linked to household income and are paid in addition to the universal Child Benefit.

In line with our Programme for Government commitments, my Department is also exploring the introduction of a targeted child benefit payment and examining how it might interact with existing supports. Officials in my Department are reviewing this and other approaches to ensure resources are directed to families with children most in need, drawing on the available evidence.

We must ensure that any second-tier payment achieves its intended outcomes and supports the families most in need, while not making any families worse off. We also need to carefully consider the potential effects on work incentives. While this is a complex piece of work, the exploration of this is underway.

This Government is determined to reduce child poverty and is considering all viable options to deliver this commitment but it will require concerted cross departmental action over the lifetime of this Government.