Plans must be implemented if poverty is to be eliminated, says agency

REPORTS, strategies and action plans on ways to reduce poverty prepared by the Government must be implemented if we are ever to really help the country’s poor, the Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) said yesterday.

CPA director Helen Johnston called for a systematic reform of the way government policies are implemented and urged a “whole of government” approach to ensure targets to reduce poverty were realised.

“While Ireland has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce detailed national plans and strategies to tackle poverty, we have been less effective at ensuring that these plans are fully actioned,” Ms Johnston said.

There was need for “joined-up” thinking between government departments and local agencies, she said.

“If we are to become more effective at implementing policy we must start by setting clear goals and targets,” said Ms Johnston.

The approach Combat Poverty recommends could bring about real change in the lives of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion in Ireland, the agency said, stressing it was imperative to not only produce national action plans and strategies but to also drive their implementation.

Launching the 2005 CPA report, Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan, said we must focus on and target serious poverty in our society.

In the last five years welfare rates, he pointed out, had risen by 55%, while the Consumer Price Index increased by 15% and earnings by 28%.

This year’s €14 billion expenditure on welfare supports and entitlements would be double what was spent in 2000.

At least 250,000 people had been lifted out of poverty in less than a decade. The target now must be those experiencing consistent hardship and deprivation.

Mr Brennan said 6.8% of our population continued to experience “consistent poverty” or hardship.

“The men, women and children that make up this 6.8% are where our main focus must be targeted. In the 21st century there is no place for child poverty, or any poverty.”

Many of the 80,000 lone parents, caring for 130,000 children, needed help to escape from welfare traps and encouragement on the paths to training, education and work.

There was also the impending pensions challenge, bringing with it the dangers of pensioner poverty. “That, we must confront and address,” the minister added.