Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education oversees the implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being and education.

The membership of the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education comprises the:

• Taoiseach,
• Tánaiste and Minister for Finance,
• Minister for Health,
• Minister for Social Protection,
• Minister for Education and Youth,
• Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage,
• Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation,
• Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality.

The Programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children, and especially those children who need our help most. These commitments include:

• Setting an ambitious child poverty target.
• Progressively increasing the Child Support Payment.
• Expanding eligibility for the Fuel Allowance to families in receipt of the Working Family Payment.
• Exploring a targeted Child Benefit payment.

All these commitments have been progressed.

Last month, the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in my Department published the second and final Progress Report under From Poverty to Potential, the first Programme Plan of the Programme Office.

The report details the progress made under From Poverty to Potential and captures the impact of the strengthened cross-government coordination and action on child poverty. It shows that the Programme Office is making a real difference in children’s lives across a wide range of areas. We intend to keep up this momentum as we work towards the Government’s goal of reducing child poverty to 3% or less by the end of 2030.

Child and Family Homelessness is one of the most pressing challenges we face in ensuring the well-being of children. The Programme Office has been working with officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to develop a Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan, which is a commitment in the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness. It is anticipated that the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan will be published in September.

Government is continuing to work to reduce parental fees to an upper limit of €200 per month for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. The Phase 1 Report, published in December 2025, is focused on short-term actions to be undertaken in 2026. Progress has already been made with unprecedented investment in the sector, and a significant and rising proportion of families (particularly lower-income families) who already pay less than €200 per month in ELC/SAC fees. Government will publish the Phase 2 action to release this objective later in 2026.

The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to realising the potential of the new DEIS and DEIS Plus programme.

Meeting the needs of children with disabilities is a priority for me and for Government. That is why we established a dedicated Cabinet Committee on Disability. The work of this Cabinet Committee is progressing important initiatives to respond to the needs and well-being of children. Significant increases in investment in disability services are also being delivered.

The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education met in May. It will meet again in due course.