National Action Plan on Social Inclusion (NAPincl)

October 2008

Paul Ginnell, EAPN Ireland

EAPN Ireland

A Network of groups and individuals working against poverty.

EAPN Ireland is the Irish network of the European Anti-poverty Network

Overall aim is to put the fight against poverty at the top of the EU, national and local agenda

ContextAugust 2007

May 2008 EU Avg (Dec 07)

Live Register 5% (164,200)

6.3% (240,217)

Unemployment 4.5% 5.1 6.7% (Feb 08)

Employment Rate- Females- Youth (15-24)-Older Persons(55-64)- Lone parents

70%61.5%9%

68.1% 60.5% 12.%

65.7%58.7%14.6% (Feb 08)45%

Net Immigration down from 67,300 in the year ending April 2007 to 38,500 in April 2008

Ireland GDP at 145.4% (125.4% GNI) of EU average (2006)

Exchequer Deficit at end August 2008 8.425 billion

Context contd.

Redistribution of wealth: In 2006 Ireland 18.5% at-risk of-poverty EU avg. 16% (EU SILC - Survey of Income and Living Conditions).

Income Generally: Improvement in minimum social welfare payment to equivalent of 30% GAIE but still below poverty 60% Poverty level. (60% in 2006 = €202.49 p/w Vs Jobseekers Allowance in 2009 = €204.30)Poverty Traps when moving from welfare to work and in-work poverty.

Services: 2003 GDP Expenditure on Expenditure on Social Protection/Ed./Health/ 28.1% (GNI 32.9%) EU avg. 41.2%

Employment: Some groups still mainly marginalised. (Employment Rates 2006: Overall 67.1% - Females 58%/Males 76.2% - lone parents 43%, Travellers 16% and people with disabilities 37%). Also 6.5% in-work poverty.

Context contd.

Issues for specific groups e.g. lone parents, older people, people with disabilities, Travellers and other minority groups, migrants, homeless people, geographical disadvantage

Attack on Agencies: Amalgamation of Combat Poverty Agency, closing the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and decimation of budgets f the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission.

What do we mean by ‘poverty’?

At-Risk-of-poverty’ –(measure most used in other EU member states)

Living on less than 60% of median income Ireland at 18.5% is amongst highest ‘at-risk-of -poverty’

poverty in the EU Relates to capacity to participate in society Specific groups: Lone parents 39.6%, older people 13.6%,

ill/Disabled 40.8 non-Irish nationals 23.5%, At work 6.5%, Children under 18yrs 11%

‘Consistent poverty’ (main measure used by Irish Government)

A combination of ‘relative’ poverty and deprivation indicators (i.e. not having enough to afford 2 of a list of 11 basics, such as new clothes, heating, second pair of strong shoes etc.

How has overall poverty changed?

Policy Context

Towards 2016 (T16) Social Partnership Agreement Introduced the Lifecycle approach (outlined in 2005

NESC ‘Development Welfare State’) - policies around children, people of working age, older people and people with disabilities.

National Development Plan 2007-2013 €183.7 Billion Plan - €49.6 bn for Social Inclusion

Priorities - in Lifecycle approach. Reflects NAP Inclusion and T16 commitments

National Women’s Strategy 2007-2013

Two linked Government approaches to fighting Poverty and Social Exclusion

National Level Part of EU Inclusion Strategy

Title NAPS NAP Incl NAP Incl NRSSPSI

Term 1997-2007

(Revised 2002)

2007-2016 2001-2003

2003-2005/6

2006-2008

2008-2010

Definition Consistent Poverty Relative Poverty

Comes from

UN – Copenhagen Summit EU Lisbon Strategy

(Part of EU Inclusion Strategy/Integrated Guidelines on Social Protection and Social Inclusion)

Target Reduce consistent poverty to 2% or, if possible, eliminate it by 2007

Reduce consistent poverty to between 2 and 4% by 2012 with the aim of eliminating it by 2016

make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010

National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016

Replaces National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) 1997-2007

Overall Goal New Consistent Poverty Target

• To reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2 and 4% by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016, under the revised definition.

12 High Level Goals and a range of other commitments across lifecycle (children, people of working Age, older people, people with disabilities) and adds Communities.

EU Integrated OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion

How it worksOverall Lisbon Objective: “make a decisive impact on the

eradication of poverty" by 2010

The Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC)o Agreed European Objectives o National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and

Social Inclusion (NRSSPSI) in each member state (Social Inclusion, Pensions and Health and Long-term care)

o EU Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion (country chapters but now also ‘light years’ - 2007 focus on Child Poverty)

o Peer review – (In November 2007 on Ireland’s NESF Social Inclusion Forum)

o common indicators (in Annex 1: NAP Inclusion 2007-2016)o Funding through PROGRESS (Prog. For Economic and

social Stability)o 2010 European Year Against Poverty and Social Exclusion

EU Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2007

General

lack of explicit targets in relation to poverty reduction

States that high ‘risk of poverty’ levels a reflection of social welfare system and that the continued levels of inequality must be a matter for concern.

Notes :that public social expenditure at 15.5% of GDP is considerable below EU average of 23.4% and the increasing prevalence of people in employment at risk of poverty.

EU Joint Report 2007 (contd.)Generally positive re. objectives but highlights

Need for more flexible approach to training and education provision (e.g. childcare provision and start times)

Employment disincentives in the welfare system as a serious issue

Lack of clear targets on migration

Highlights that Towards 2016 Lifecycle approach is ‘gender-blind’ diminishing the visibility of gender mainstreaming and lack of specific targets in the NSSPI.

Challenges

Sustained investment in service provision (esp. childcare and eldercare)

Addressing high proportion of at risk of poverty and high level of income inequalities. Repeats concern over lack of targets for poverty reduction.- Hopes to see this addressed in Irish NAP Inclusion 2007-2016.

Institutional Structures(Full list in Annex 5: NAP Inclusion)

European EU Social Protection Committee

National Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion (Drugs and Rural Development) Office for Social inclusion Combat Poverty Agency Local Government Social Inclusion Steering Group Also a range of social partnership bodies Threats to this Infrastructure

Local County/City Development Boards and other local structures Social inclusion units in government departments and on a phased basis in half

of all county/city local authorities by the end of 2008 Community and Voluntary Sector Partnership structures

NAP Inclusion 2007-2016 Affirms role of CDB as key co-ordination mechanism for public service delivery (incl.

social inclusion) Senior Officials Group to review local programmes to reduce duplication and improve

coherence at local level.

Other Key Elements Annual Social Inclusion Report

Assessment of progress towards set targets and actions – under lifecycle approach

Identify new issues which might benefit from a more co-ordinated approach Report on Stakeholders views

• From national and local level• Input from Partnership Steering Committee• Annual Social Inclusion Forum –

Work with all Stakeholders in its development

Poverty Impact Assessment (Poverty Proofing) To ‘assess policies and programmes at design, implementation and review

stages for their likely impact on poverty and on inequalities which are likely to lead to poverty with a view to poverty reduction’

Technical Advisory Group Poverty measurement and Data Strategy

Social Inclusion Forum - 26th November 2008 in Croke Park

NRSSPSIStrengths

Involves Commission Overview including reports

Involves EU level indicators - including Relative Poverty.

Involves a learning processLinked to other policy processes – Towards

2016, NDP etcImportance of clear stated targetsConsistent Poverty targetPotential of Annual Social Inclusion Reports

NRSSPSIWeaknesses

EU level process not seen as important by Government Little political energy/commitment: to ‘make a

decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010’

Poor emphasis on rights Little participation or visibility- following from Towards

2016 No at-risk-of-Poverty Target Consultation Process

Irish NRSSPSI 2008-2010

Four Social Inclusion objectives (same as in 2006-2008): Child poverty (Early Childhood Development and Care, Improving

Education and Health Outcomes for Children, Income Support for Children, Children and their families)

Access to quality work and learning opportunities (with a focus on lone parents and people with disabilities, lifelong learning and access to quality work and learning opportunities)

Integration of migrants (Integration, National Action Plan Against Racism)

Access to quality services (Mental Health, Housing and Homelessness, Access to services in disadvantaged areas)

General Comments on NRSSPSI 2008-2010

Consultation

Refers to current economic difficulties but not reflected in terms of targets etc.

Highlights good practice measures: Office of the Minister for Integration Intercultural Health Strategy Technical Advisory Group and the date Matrix

Implementation Commitment Delivery

Consistent Poverty Reduce consistent poverty to between 2 and 4% by 2012 with the aim of eliminating it by 2016

6.9% in 2006. (almost no change in 2 years)

Housing ‘.....the accommodation needs of some 60,000 new households being addressed over the period 2007 to 2009’ (Below NESC recommendation in 2005 for 73,000 social units 05-12- New strategy to eradicate homelessness by 2010

Under current progress to 1st Qtr 2008 - will not meet this target, possibly up to 40% short.

- Homeless organisations report an increase in street homelessness.

Access to quality work and learning opportunities

- by 2016 reduce the number of those whose total income is derived from long-term social welfare payments by 20% (incl. lone-parents, long term unemployed)-Additional 7,000 people with disabilities in employment by 2010. Raise emp. Rate of people with disabilities from 37%-45% by 2016- 1,000 additional Youthreach places

-10 new DSFA Jobs Facilitators in place and 20 identified

-- ?

- Budget for 100 new place approved

Implementation contd.Commitment Delivery

Child Poverty Reduction of consistent child poverty to between 2-4% by 2012 and elimination by 2016

- 1-14 yrs. Increase in consistent poverty from 9.3% in 2004 to 9.8% in 2006-Under 19years – 11% in consistent poverty and 22.3% at risk of poverty- Impact of Habitual residency condition , no child benefit for children of asylum seekers and non-documented migrants.

Childcare - 50,000 new childcare places by 2010 (NCIP- incl. 10,000 preschool and 5,000 afterschool).100,000 by 2016

Community Childcare Subvention Scheme creating major difficulties.-Discontinuation of funding for the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education

Health 500 new Primary Health Care Teams by 2011 (300 by 2008)

Various reports including Prime Time. Target not being met and more limited personnel than committed

Integration of Migrants -550 extra language support teachers in place by 2009-National Action Plan Against Racism

- 200 extra in 2007

- No Budget after 2008 and NCCRI gone

Further Information

EAPN Ireland: www.eapn.ie EAPN NAPincl: www.eapn.ie/policy/23

Combat Poverty Agency: www.combatpoverty.ie

Office for Social Inclusion: www.socialinclusion.ie