Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed that tackling child poverty will be a key priority in the upcoming budget, with significant enhancements planned for family support payments.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr Martin outlined plans for “significant moves” in child support payments and working family payments, alongside the development of a second-tier payment system. However, he acknowledged that the Department of Social Protection is not yet ready to implement such a payment structure.
“The Department of Social Protection are saying clearly to us, they’re not yet in a position to develop such a payment, but that they will focus, obviously, and bring to government recommendations,” Mr Martin explained. These recommendations will be decided by the three party leaders and ministers for finance, public expenditure, and social protection.
The Taoiseach emphasized that support would be targeted at families facing the greatest cost-of-living impacts, particularly regarding food costs, through enhanced child support payments, working family payments, and measures supporting families with children with disabilities and carers.
Mr Martin attributed current challenges to inflation spikes following the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, stating that targeted measures were needed to address unsatisfactory poverty figures. “We’re going to target resources to children who are at greatest risk of poverty and who are in consistent poverty,” he said.
The Government’s approach extends beyond income supports to encompass education, early childhood services, and housing. Plans include a Deis Plus model providing additional resources to schools in disadvantaged areas, specific measures for early education and childcare access in disadvantaged communities, and housing mechanisms to move families out of emergency accommodation more quickly.
Mr Martin noted that 25% of the education budget now supports children with special needs. Addressing homelessness in Cork, he revealed that city officials reported 26% of those in emergency accommodation had refused housing offers, highlighting the complexity of the situation.
The Taoiseach acknowledged that not all measures could be implemented in one budget but committed to addressing child poverty over multiple budget cycles.