The Minister of State for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan, has rejected claims by a new campaign group against child poverty that the Government "failed" children in Budget 2003.
Launching the End Child Poverty Coalition yesterday, Mr Ray Dooley of the Children's Rights Alliance said the Government could not have more budgets like the last one if it was serious about meeting its target of eliminating child poverty by 2007.
Promises to increase child benefit and medical card access were broken, while those to cut corporation tax and to fully fund the Special Savings Incentive Scheme were kept, Mr Dooley remarked, adding: "We need to put children first in the next budget, not last."
But Mr Lenihan said he was "satisfied" with the allocation to his areas of responsibility in the Budget. He added: "I don't think the option of re-examining corporation profits tax and redeploying the money for child poverty was a live option for the Government Were we to change that it would shake any investor confidence in Ireland, which is so important for creating jobs."
As for helping the estimated 90,000 children still experiencing consistent poverty, he said: "It is not clear that massive increases in child benefit with get to the bottom of that problem. We clearly need a more targeted response for that group in terms of income maintenance."
The coalition, comprising seven organisations working with children in poverty and funded by the National Youth Council of Ireland, will seek to ensure that the Government meets it commitments on the issue under the National Children's Strategy and Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Ms Colette Murray of the Pavee Point organisation said a strong advocacy group was very important in light of the deterioration in public finances and cut-backs in services. "Ireland still has one of the highest rates of child poverty among developed countries."
She noted that the number of children living in consistent poverty - which means having a household income below 60 per cent of average disposal income and lacking certain basic goods - was equivalent to the combined population of Galway, Killarney and Tralee.
Mr John Mark McCafferty, social policy officer with the Society of St Vincent de Paul, also criticised Budget 2003, describing it as a missed opportunity which needed to be reversed in the next budget. Elimination of child poverty should be "a priority and not an afterthought", he said.
Mr Dooley remarked that the goal would not be achieved by relying on a "tide lifting all boats" policy. "An employment-based strategy by itself will not do it."
Meanwhile, Mr Lenihan said he planned to publish the National Children's Play Strategy for under 12s next month, adding he hoped to get funding from the Government for the implementation of the plan. He said a "lack of basic physical play space" had been identified. "Local authorities seem to be very slow in providing space in their areas."
He added he was keen to address the need for alternatives to pubs as places of recreation for older children. "I've become very very concerned at contemporary practices regarding the consumption of alcohol," he said. Mr Lenihan attended yesterday's launch of the coalition, whose members are: the Children's Rights Alliance, National Youth Council of Ireland, People with Disabilities in Ireland, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Barnardos, Focus Ireland and Pavee Point.
