Minister Joe O’Brien launches ESRI Research Report on Effect of Social Transfers and Deprivation in Ireland
Findings will provide key data to Steering Group in its work to reduce Poverty Levels
Tuesday, 17th November, 2020
Joe O’Brien, TD, Minister with responsibility for Social Inclusion, Community Development and Charities launched the ESRI research report ‘Social Transfers and Deprivation in Ireland: a study of cash and non-cash payments tied to housing, childcare and primary health care services’ today.
The Department of Social Protection is responsible for monitoring and reporting on poverty trends to inform anti-poverty and social inclusion policies and practice and to facilitate improved oversight of outcomes. To assist with this, the Department funds poverty and social inclusion research programmes; the most recent being with the ESRI on the measurement and analysis of household income and living conditions for the three year period 2017-2019. With the programme’s focus on household income and living conditions, the reports are primarily based on data from the annual EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions. In Ireland, this data is collected by the CSO and published on an annual basis.
As this most recent research report is based on 2017 data, it does not take into account the full impact of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme or the National Childcare Scheme. Both of these were introduced in more recent years and are recognised by Government and the relevant stakeholders (including the voluntary sector) as being valuable supports for individuals and families. Nevertheless, almost 70% of households are in receipt of one of the transfers included in the study with almost 25% in receipt of two or more.
Speaking at the launch, Minister O’Brien commented:
“Reducing poverty and deprivation is a difficult challenge and we need to know what works for different people, different families, different households – there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
“This report gives us a valuable evaluation of the interaction between certain types of cash and non-cash transfers from the State and levels of deprivation, the effect that these supports have on those who need them most and the impact of these transfers in helping to reduce deprivation.
The Minister continued:
“While the data relates to 2017, its findings are relevant and of interest as we deal with the impact of COVID on our society and on employment in 2020. These challenges are in addition to those that existed in this country pre-COVID. We must remain focused on these challenges and continue to work on tackling deprivation and these poverty levels.
“This ESRI research provides us with the evidence and insight necessary to evaluate our strategies and to understand whether policy objectives are being achieved. It is also vital for us to know that the supports we put in place are reaching the people who need them most and are having a positive impact. It will help us build on our commitments in our Programme for Government ‘A Shared Future’ to combat disadvantage and promote social Inclusion.
Minister O’Brien also spoke of the Government’s Roadmap for Social Inclusion for which a Steering Group was recently established and is chaired by the Minister. The main aims of this Roadmap for Social Inclusion will be to work towards reducing the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less, to increase social inclusion for people who are most disadvantaged, and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU.
The Minister added:
“The findings of the ESRI Research Report will provide key data in a number of areas that the newly established Social Inclusion Roadmap Steering Group, which I am chairing, will be considering in detail as part of our work.”