BARNARDOS YES/ NO CHILD POVERTY

CAMPAIGN2009

Child Poverty Facts

• 76,000 children continue to live in consistent poverty in Ireland; a figure we can predict has risen over 2008 and 2009.

• Children account for nearly 40% of all those living in consistent poverty.

Cost of Living• In 2007, living in Ireland cost 11% more than the European

average.

• Consumer Price Index decrease in September 2009 – real value for many families living on social welfare or low incomes 2.4% not 6.5%

• Qualified Child Allowance remained unchanged from 1996 to 2006 at €16.80 weekly finally increasing to €26 in 2009.

• CPI: prices rose by an average of 3.69% every year between 2002 and 2008

Barnardos Recommendations

Budget 2010

Fairness and Proportionality

Social Welfare

• Protect the poorest children: Maintain the current rate of Child Benefit for families in receipt of Qualified Child Allowance and Family Income Supplement.

• Ensure that the Family Income Supplement responds flexibly to changing working hours.

Social Welfare•Leave the basic adult social welfare payment at its current rate to support children living in poor families.

•Reinstate the Christmas Bonus for families with children.

•Leave the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance at its current rate. Include eligibility to the scheme to all those earning up to FIS levels of income.

•Maintain current rate of the One-Parent Family Payment.

•No further cuts to Rent Supplement until an impact assessment is carried out into the affects of existing cuts.

Education• Roll out a compulsory national book rental scheme in all

schools across the State.

• Reinstate 2008 staffing levels to class sizes.

• Ensure that all children who have a demonstrated need for a Special Needs Assistant can access the service in a timely way.

• Provide the National Educational Psychological Service with funding to ensure adequate psychologist coverage to all schools, ensuring resources are used efficiently.

Education• Cap school transport charges at €250 per secondary

pupil with a family max of €500.

• Safeguard funding for homework clubs, after hours clubs and the necessary activities schools spend money on to keep children motivated.

• Ensure the pre-school year is of high standard and compliant with the Framework for Quality (SIOLTA) and the Framework of Early Learning (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment).

Health• Retain current medical card income guidelines

and disregards, and allow those who find work to keep their medical card for two years.

• Ensure that the promised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams are delivered.

• Refrain from imposing a €5 charge for prescriptions for medical card holders.

• Government needs to take long term future of next generation into account in Budget 2010.

• Disadvantage and poverty breed more disadvantage and poverty: intergenerational cycles.

• Not just this generation who will be affected but their children and grandchildren.

Lost Generation

We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many things can wait, the children cannot. Right now is the time their bones are being formed, their senses are being developed. To them, we cannot answer ‘tomorrow’, their name is ‘today’.

Gabriela Mistral