Radically different approach to child poverty is needed

Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute published earlier this year paints a stark picture of child poverty in Ireland. Growing up in poverty is associated with worse outcomes across almost all key aspects of a child’s life, including cognitive and educational attainment, school engagement, socio-emotional development, life satisfaction and physical health.

Given the long-term damaging impact of poverty on children’s lives, the need to tackle it has been a commitment by successive governments. Most recently, the Government sought to reduce the number of children living in consistent poverty to 37,000 or roughly the equivalent of 3 per cent of all children by 2020. Children growing up in consistent poverty live in households with an income below the poverty line and going without basics such as nutritious food, adequate heat and suitable clothing.

The latest data on income and living conditions in Ireland, published by the Central Statistics Office on Friday tells us that the Government did not meet this target with an estimated 95,000 children living in consistent poverty in 2020.

This won’t be the first time a government has not met its own targets. In 2002, the National Anti-Poverty Strategy pledged to reduce the number of children experiencing consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less by 2007. At a time of unprecedented economic growth, the rate only reduced to 7.4 per cent.

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We remain confident that we can solve poverty and Ireland has made progress over the last number of years. However, an absence of joined-up thinking, adequate resources and, ultimately, a lack of political will has meant child poverty has persisted at an unacceptably high level through boom and bust. It is clear a radically different approach is needed.

EU guarantee

Ireland can now look towards the huge potential of the recently adopted European Child Guarantee to leverage change. The guarantee compels member states to provide free and effective access for disadvantaged children to key services including early childhood education and care, education and school-based activities and healthcare, as well as access to adequate housing and nutrition.

Through the lifetime of this Government, we need to see the design and implementation of an ambitious and coherent child poverty plan with concrete action across all departments. Targeted supports for children most at risk of poverty are needed, including those in one-parent families, members of the Traveller community, asylum seekers, homeless children and those with a disability.

While access to quality services is critical to break the cycle, income remains vital in the fight against poverty. The pandemic put into sharp focus the importance of a strong safety net and why we need to make sure our social protection system works for everyone. Currently it is not meeting the needs for many – a lone parent with two children has a weekly shortfall of €82 between their income and the cost of a minimum essential standard of living. For families caring for someone with a disability, the gap will be much larger due to the extra costs of a disability.

The small increases in social welfare payments in Budget 2022 will do little to address this gap as they will be absorbed almost immediately by inflation. Committing to benchmark social welfare to an adequate level would ensure children have their basic needs met and are not excluded. An adequate income would allow families to plan for the future and provide an anchor for parents to access training, education and good-quality jobs.

A living wage, free childcare for low-income families and more flexible work arrangements would allow parents to build a better life for their children. Importantly, for parents who can’t work full-time due to caring responsibilities, we need to have a social protection floor that allows families to live with dignity.

Cost

Some may ask whether we can afford the level of investment to tackle poverty effectively, but the real question is can we afford not to? It is estimated that dealing with the consequences of poverty costs the State €4.5 billion every year. Put another way, €1 in every €20 collected by the State ends up being allocated to make up for the way that poverty damages people’s lives.

Getting the policies right and putting resources behind them is critical but, ultimately, ending child poverty must be a top-line priority across Government departments and throughout the political system. We can look to New Zealand, which has shown leadership in this regard. Since taking office, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has made their child poverty targets legally binding, established a child poverty unit in her office to drive implementation from the top and amended the public finance Bill to ensure all budgetary decisions reduce poverty and promote wellbeing.

A return to normal and the old way of doing things is not good enough for children growing up in poverty. We can and must do better.

Tricia Keilthy is head of social justice at the Society of St Vincent de Paul