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£16Billion to combat poverty in Ireland Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has announced a £16billion long term investment to combat poverty in Ireland. Educational and other initiatives to target key grous such as children and elderly people living in poverty are priorities in the package, he said. The announcement came at the National Poverty conference in Dublin on 11 May. Recent reseacrh, said the Taoiseach, had shown a substantial reduction in poverty levels due to economic growth but he added that much yet remained to be done to build an inclusive Ireland. However, Mr Ahern said he beileved that poverty in Ireland could be eliminated at an 'unequalled pace' and that its elimination could also be sustained over the long term, providing economic growth was maintained together with a focus on maintaining the allocation of resources towards key areas, particularly children, people with disabilities and older people. However, economic growth itself was not the answer unless its outcome was directed towards social ends and the goal of tackling exclusion. Consistent poverty had fallen from above 15% to below 15%, coupled with a fall in unemployment from 12% in 1996 to below five per cent in the year 2000. There remained a tendency to view growth and competitiveness as seperate from inclusion and fairness and it was necessary not to permit short term policies from undermining the ability to build an economy caaapable of sustaining the level of social support that could remove inequality, said Mr Ahern. The injection of the £16 billion, spread over seven years, will principally focus at helping those 'most distanced from the labour market'. education Low educational attainment, shown to be a significant contributor to the poverty trap, will be tackled through a three-year phased £28 million strategy to help schools with significant drop out rates. A new agency, the Educational Welfare Board will work with schools, parents and other community groups to address early school leaving.Each unqualified school leaver below the age of 18 will be required to register with the Broad before being able to take on employment. The Board will then prepare an education programme tailored to individual's needs. The first national susrvey of educational disaadvantage in all primary schools is nearing completion and will provide the foundation to properly target rresources, said Mr Ahern. Women living as sole head of family were particularly prone to fall into poverty and a reveiew of the supports for such families is being completed. "It is intended to make whatever changes are required to help lone parents and their children avoid poverty traps and long term dependency," said Mr Ahern. The general health and well-being of those still living in poverty should be more in the spotlight even though addressing such matters in a concrete and credible way was difficult, said the Taoiseach. awareness There is a high level of public awareness of poverty issues in Ireland togeteher with a high consensus that tackling poverty should be a priority of public policy, said Mr Ahern. But there was, he said, no 'quick-fix'. Removing poverty required a full range of social, economic and political direction. |