Conference to call for end to child poverty in 20 years

Child poverty could be eliminated in 10 years, a conference on the issue will be told in Dublin today.

Organised by the Combat Poverty agency, the conference, "Promoting Well-being and Eliminating Child Poverty in Ireland", will be addressed by, among others, Mr Brian Kenny, policy adviser to the children's charity, Barnardos.

"It is not unrealistic to suggest child poverty be eliminated by 2010. We need first to adopt a comprehensive definition of child poverty and then establish an agreed minimum income for every child."

Though there is no hard and fast definition of child poverty, the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) defines poverty as having an income and resources which are so inadequate as to preclude a person from having a standard of living considered acceptable by Irish society in general.

Noting the significance of child poverty, it says: "Poor children have been shown to do less well educationally, are more likely to suffer ill-health, are vulnerable to homelessness and delinquent behaviour and have fewer opportunities in life.

"Child poverty," it adds, "can seriously damage the life chances of many children leading to a cycle of deprivation which repeats itself from generation to generation."

Poverty is also broadly defined as having an income of less than half of the average industrial wage (about £16,000 gross per annum, or £307 gross per week). The reality of poverty for a child, says Mr Kenny, is missing out on such basics as adequate clothing, educational opportunities, good health, adequate housing, toys and even in some cases a third meal every day. It undermines a child's fundamental rights.

Research into child poverty carried out by Mr Brian Nolan of the Economic and Social Research Institute will also be presented today.

"Child Poverty In Ireland" finds one quarter of Irish children live in households below half the average income. That's between 130,000 and 370,000 children under 18 living in varying degrees of poverty.

Children are 1.25 times more likely to be in poverty than adults, and Irish children have the highest rate of income poverty in the EU.

Though child poverty has fallen since a peak of 29.5 per cent of children in 1994, those dependent on child benefit have fallen further behind those whose guardians are employed, rather than catching up.

The gains made during a time of rising living standards and falling unemployment "have been diluted by the failure to link increases in State child income support either to wage rises or general welfare increases", says Mr Nolan.

Putting a 20-year time-frame on eliminating child poverty, he says the issue should be prioritised in all Government policy.

He advocates a number of components in any strategy, including: that the incomes of poor children should grow ahead of inflation and ideally in line with wages; the abolition of chronic poverty by 2007 and the reduction of the proportion of children in income poverty by half in 10 years and fully in 20.