The Government has acknowledged that its newly set goal to reduce child poverty to 3 per cent by 2030 is “very ambitious”, reports Breaking News.
The Cabinet approved the new objective on Wednesday, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin stating that the target will help shape policies across all areas of Government and ensure that funding is directed toward children and families “who need it the most”.
According to the CSO’s 2024 Income and Living Conditions survey, the current consistent poverty rate among children stands at 8.5 per cent, reports Breaking News.
Mr Martin called the target “ambitious” and said: “Reducing child poverty and ensuring every child has a great start in life are key priorities for this Government.”
Publishing the target, Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary said: “Children who grow up in poverty are far more likely to experience poverty as adults. As Minister for Social Protection, I am determined to break the cycle of lifelong and inter-generational poverty. Recent Budgets have continued to provide supports for the most vulnerable children in our society, through measures such as increases in the Child Support Payment, the Working Family Payment thresholds, free schoolbooks, and the extension of Hot School Meals to all primary schools. These and future budget measures are important factors towards achieving the target set,” reports Breaking News.
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