The Open Your Eyes to Child Poverty Initiative has put forward 12 ways to tackle child poverty in its pre-Budget submission to the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy.
The initiative, comprising eight organisations working together to promote greater public awareness of poverty, urges that Budget 2002 prioritises the reduction of child poverty through actions in income support, education, housing and health.
The initiative calls for increases in child benefit and the back-to-school footwear and clothing allowance.
It recommends the establishment of a £20 million (€25.4 million) fund to enhance the third-level maintenance grant for students from social welfare dependent families.
In the area of health, the poverty initiative has asked the Government to provide a medical card for all children - initially for all children under five, and by phased extension for all children under 18.
The cost of the scheme, if fully implemented, is estimated at £96 million. The group is calling for the ring-fencing of funds to ensure that no child is waiting more than six months for medical treatment, at a cost of £15 million.
The anti-poverty initiative is also seeking funding for the provision of targeted, community-based adolescent services for both after-care and those at risk of being placed in care.
