A booming economy is not the same as a booming society. Any society
in which between a quarter and a third of children are at risk of income
poverty is not a booming society.
Groups Join to Call for Anti Child Poverty Measures in New Partnership
Deal
Monday Nov 1st 1999
With discussions imminent on a new National Agreement, five national
organisations today (November 1st) launched ‘ A Partnership with
Children – Policy Proposal for a Future National Agreement’
at 11am in Barnardos, Christchurch Square, Dublin 2.
The ‘Open Your Eyes to Child Poverty Initiative,’ consisting
of the Combat Poverty Agency, National Youth Council of Ireland, Barnardos,
the Children’s Rights Alliance and Society of St de Paul have set
out a joint policy agenda for a action on the prevention, reduction and
eventual elimination of child poverty.
The most recently available figures (1997) confirm that child poverty
is a serious problem in Ireland with between a quarter and a third of
Irish children at risk of living in poverty. The five groups in the initiative
have joined forces in calling for measures to address child poverty in
the successor to Partnership 2000.
11 policy proposals are set out in the document. Among them are calls
for a target for child poverty reduction in the National Anti Poverty
Strategy and the National Children’s Strategy, increased Child Benefit
and substantial increases to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear
Scheme. In the area of Education, it is recommended that a guarantee be
given that every child and young person has access to free, appropriate
educational and development opportunities, in accordance with his/her
age and needs, and that adequate resources to fund quality pre-school
programmes be provided. Proposals are also made that focus on the needs
of specific groups like Traveller children, young people with disabilities
and young homeless people.
The elimination of child poverty must be central to any new national
agreement. “How children live today powerfully influences how they
will live tomorrow and the next generation. Those who g row up in poverty
are likely to do less well at school, have fewer recreational, social
and cultural opportunities and are most at risk of being involved in crime
and ant-social behaviour. Their talents and potential are more likely
to be fulfilled. Child poverty is a denial of the basic rights of the
child, it damages the health and development of children.” said
Hugh Frazer, Director, Combat Poverty Agency
Current economic buoyancy provides us with an exceptional opportunity
to implement policies to effectively address poverty amongst children.
Policies need to be developed that will ensure that every child can realise
their rights under the UN Conventional on the Rights of Child including
the right to a standard of living sufficient to guarantee their well-being
and the full development of their capacities.
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