Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD has slammed the Government for its failure to publish a new anti-poverty strategy.
Deputy Shortall said:
“The last anti-poverty strategy ran out at the end of 2017. It was a major failing of the Government and of the Department that there was no new strategy ready to replace it. It tells us all about how low a priority poverty and social inclusion are for official Ireland.
“The Government has been promising that a new strategy, a Roadmap for Social Inclusion, would be published soon. But now, almost two years after the last one ran out, there is still no strategy in place.
“In June 2018, the Dáil was told that a new strategy would be ready that Autumn. It was promised again for June this year. Then, ‘The Summer’ was given as the date. We are now in Autumn 2019 and still no new strategy. What is taking so long?
“Ireland still has very high levels of child poverty and we need to set an all-of-government target to eliminate consistent child poverty once and for all. This is eminently achievable with the right kind of approach.
“One-parent families and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable to poverty and must also be a key focus of Government. But there is no hope of poverty ever getting to the top of the Government’s agenda if the Minister and her senior civil servants in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection don’t publish a new strategy. Poverty is clearly the last thing on Fine Gael’s mind.”
ENDS
22nd September 2019