Agencies aim to bring poverty below 2%

Seven national agencies have come together under the End Child Poverty Coalition to co-ordinate their fight against child poverty.

The groups are working to reach a Government commitment to reduce levels of consistent poverty from more than 8 per cent to under 2 per cent by 2007.

Included in the End Child Poverty Coalition (ECPC) is the Children's Rights Alliance; Pavee Point; The National Youth Council of Ireland; People with Disabilities Ireland; The St Vincent de Paul; Focus Ireland and Barnado's.

Mr John McCafferty, social policy officer with The St Vincent de Paul, told Ireland.comthe ECPC would allow greater co-ordination among the groups in their campaign to end child poverty.

"Within the social policy area we believe we can gain more by working together on child-poverty issues. This coalition will give us a greater voice".

Mr McCafferty said a key reform target for social groups was the Child's Dependence Allowance - which provides income help to those on social welfare.

"Child Benefit has improved but it not the most effective anti-poverty mechanism as it is available to all families, including the wealthy. The problem with the Child's Dependence Allowance is that it has been frozen since 1994. We need to re-examine how payments are made to the poorest people in society," he said.

The ECPC was unveiled today by the Minister for State with Special Responsibility for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan TD.