The eradication of poverty in Ireland is "within sight", the Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) said today. However the agency said the gap between rich and poor has remained the same despite recent economic prosperity.
At the launch of a strategic two-year plan the agency said a concerted effort was needed to eradicate poverty including the balancing of tax and welfare policy towards the less well-off.
"Much has been achieved during the period of the outgoing government and the new National Anti-Poverty Strategy contains a strong commitment to continuing this work", said CPA Director Ms Helen Johnston.
"However, it will be necessary for any incoming government after the general election to ensure that adequate resources continue to be provided for anti-poverty measures in the likely harsher economic environment ahead," she added.
Under the CPA plan which will run until 2004 the agency will under take to conduct a study of the costs of child raring to inform children's welfare policy, will examine the links between racism, ethnicity and poverty and will carry out pilot work on addressing health inequalities.
The agency says a number of groups remain at high risk of poverty - single adult households, lone parents and larger families, households headed by an unemployed, ill or disabled person or a person working in the home, and ethnic minority groups including Travellers.
