Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion – Irish Experience

Gerry ManganDirectorSocial Inclusion DivisionDepartment-Social, Family AffairsIreland

Overview

Nature and extent of poverty and inequality Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion -the

challenges Strategic and “Life Cycle” Approaches National Action Plans and implementation

Poverty – Definition for Ireland

“People are living in poverty if their income and resources (material, cultural and social) are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people in society.”

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Poverty - Measurement

Basic Poverty: Irish measure - consistent poverty

OECD measure - material deprivation

At Risk of Poverty: income below threshold – 60% of average median income,

Depth of Poverty: how far are incomes below threshold

Persistence of poverty: how long are people in poverty

Who are the vulnerable?

Children and families – lone parents, larger families Working age – unemployed, youth, people

with disabilities, addictions, immigrants, ethnic minorities, travellers, ex prisoners

Older persons – living alone, and/or frail, dependent, requiring care from family carers,

or in institutions

Tackling Poverty or “Poverties”

Poverty is multi-faceted and combating itrequires a multi-policy approach e.g. Employment & employment supports, Income supports Access to services: education, health, care

(for children, elderly, people with disabilities) housing, transport, sports and culture etc

Housing and Environmental supports

Challenge in 1980s – still the case?

“This poverty stemming from the years of economic crisis is like a cancer growing away at our society…..How is it possible to imagine that we have (such high) social protection budgets …..and still we have so many poor people? This is because the poverty of today slips through the meshes of the social protection net….. The fact is this costly system is not doing its task” (Jacques Delors – EU Commission President in 1980s)

Social Partnership – Consultation and Engagement

Social Partners: 4 pillars – employers, trade unions, farmers, Community and Voluntary

Social Partnership: works to get agreement and consensus through negotiations on pay, employment and social provision to meet current challenges

Outcome: National agreements on these on which National Action Plan on inclusion is based

Social partners then directly involved in the monitoring and evaluation of implementation

Strategies to meet challenges

Key features of strategies: Analysis of social and economic trends Identify and document challenges, both statistically and through

consultation with social partners and other stakeholders Set clear long term goals and objectives Set more short term, time bound targets for meeting goals Clear specific commitments to measures to meet objectives Work to achieve effective implementation, especially through

cooperation across Government at national and local levels to achieve better outcomes through more integration

Indicators to measure progress in achieving intended outcomes Monitoring & evaluation of implementation, and report annually

Evolution of National Anti-Poverty Strategies in Ireland

National Anti-Poverty strategy (NAPS) - Ireland’s response to 1995 UN Social Summit in Copenhagen on social development

“Sharing in Progress” first 10 year strategic plan for 1997- 2007, product of wide public consultation and

collaboration of Departments, agencies within Government Similar approach for preparation of more ambitious revised plan, Building an Inclusive Society for 2002 -2007 National Action Plan for Social Inclusion: 2007-2016 +

specific Chapter on social inclusion in National Development Plan (NDP), based on wider social partnership agreement Towards 2016

EU Open Method of Coordination: National Action Plans -2001 to present

National Strategies - Current

Social Inclusion

NationalDevelopment

Plan2007-2013

National Action Plan for Social

Inclusion 2007-2016

North Southco-operation

Social Partnership

Towards 2016

EUOMC

Lifecycle approach in strategies

Social Partners agreed a new framework in Towards 2016 based on each stage of the life cycle:

– Childhood– People of Working Age– Older People, and, in addition,– People With Disabilities– Communitiesto address key social challenges.

Main purpose: to design and coordinate public services around individuals and their requirements, rather than administrative boundaries

Aims of Lifecycle Approach

Assists in meeting strategic objectives through More coordinated, holistic approach to policy and

more emphasis on individual needs Facilitating and promoting a more “joined up”

approach to implementation/delivery Clearer basis for monitoring and for evaluation, and

streamlined reporting on progress; Facilitates consultation and communication with

social partners and other stakeholders.

Main outcomes to be achieved

Children: end child poverty ,promote and facilitate child development

Working Age & People with disabilities: significant reduction in jobless households and provide access to quality services

Older people: enable high proportion to live comfortably at home, with access to quality services & residential care, if required

Overall Poverty Reduction Target

To reduce the number of those experiencing ‘consistent poverty’# to between 2% and 4% by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016, using the revised definition.

# - relates to deprivation of certain basic goods and services

Children: Key Targets

Targeted pre-school education for children in designated areas (mainly disadvantaged);

Halve the number of pupils with severe literacy difficulties in primary schools serving disadvantaged communities to less than 15%

Ensure more than 90% of those aged 20-24 have completed upper second level education

Maintain value of child income supports at 33-35% of minimum adult social welfare rate

Active Inclusion: Key Priority for Adult Lifecycles

Essentially about social inclusion through activation, where possible, of those furthest from the labour market, and having three strands:- link to the labour market through jobs, skills- income support for a dignified life, and- better access to quality services, or in UK terms

‘work for those who can, support for those whocannot ‘

Why Focus on Employment

Best route out of social exclusion – at risk of poverty rate substantially lower for people in work than those not in work

Potential for progression and gaining new skills - not available to those out of work

Evidence of broader benefits not directly tied to increases in income, including better health and better social contacts

Need for Tailored Services

People furthest from labour market can face awide range of barriers Illness/disability/age Lack of key skills Complex family responsibilities Housing/location problems, andNeed to develop services that are focussed on the individual, reflect local labour market and other conditions, delivered in partnership

Working Age: Key Targets

Introduce active case management for all those on long term social welfare - long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities– Support 50,000 into employment, education and

training with the aim of reducing by 20%, those totally dependent on long term social welfare

Maintain the lowest social welfare rate at least at €185.80 in 2007 terms

Older People: Key Targets

Extension of work life: may include in work training, tackling age discrimination in the work place, and supporting flexible working

Continue to invest in community care services to enable older people to remain living in the community

Maintain a minimum rate of €200 in 2007 terms for all social welfare pensions and enhance if possible (target E300 per week in Government programme). Pension policy to be informed by Green Paper

People with Disabilities: Key Targets

Raise participation levels in education, training and employment– Additional 7,000 people in employment by

2010– Increase employment participation rate to

45% by 2016– Achieve overall participation rate of 50% in

education, training and employment by 2016

Communities: Key Targets

Increased focus on the local dimension in developing services for social inclusion – Local Government (eg extension of social inclusion units), Community and Voluntary Sector

Housing - increase output by 60,000 for those unable to meet their own needs by 2009

Health - 500 primary health care teams by 2011 Integration of migrants

– Develop overall strategy– Provide an additional 550 teachers for language supports – Improve translation services across public sector

Delivery

Focus on outcomes Bridge the gap between policy goals, objectives

and targets, and implementation Strengthen integrated approaches Ensure both national and local responses Be open to change and ready to close/adapt

programmes Accessible and flexible service delivery Monitoring and evaluation of performance Review Milestones (2008, 2010, 2013, 2016)

Making it happen! ImplementationStructures

Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion (chaired by Taoiseach/Prime Minister), with Minister for Social and Family Affairs having main responsibility in Government for social inclusion

Senior Officials – mainly policy coordination “Towards 2016” Partnership Steering Group with representatives of

social partners Social Inclusion Division – Department of Social and Family Affairs Liaison officers in key Government Ministries Social inclusion units in Local Authorities Social Inclusion Forum – annual conferences with representatives of

all stakeholders – last one held on 5th November Housing Forum Technical Advisory Group – advises on data strategy/indicators

Social Inclusion Division

Has responsibility for Government’s social inclusion agenda

Coordinates development of National Action Plan for inclusion (NAP incl) and other relevant strategies

Monitors, evaluates and reports on progress against social inclusion targets in NAP incl

Monitors progress being achieved on priorities for Ireland under OMC and prepares reports for the EU

Support functions: Communications, Poverty Impact Assessment, Data and Research

Annual Social Inclusion Report

Review progress of each lifecycle on a systematic basis, drawing together relevant strategies and reports

Social partners/other stakeholders consulted and views also reported from partnership and Social Inclusion Forum

Assessment of Progress achieved towards set targets and actions

Identify new issues, especially of cross cutting nature

Poverty: negative impact for both economy and social cohesion

“……poverty and inequality are evidence of an inefficient society, which wastes human resources, opportunities and life chances….

(and they)……will also weigh heavily on our capacity to sustain economic growth for years to come.”

OECD Secretariat to Ministerial Meeting, 2005.

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

More Information, including latest social inclusion report and strategic plan of Social Inclusion Division on website:

www.socialinclusion.ie