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National Action Plan on Social Inclusion (NAPincl)

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

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National Action Plan on Social Inclusion (NAPincl)

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  1. National Action Plan on Social Inclusion (NAPincl) October 2008 Paul Ginnell, EAPN Ireland

  2. 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

  3. Context

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. How has overall poverty changed?

  8. 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

  9. Two linked Government approaches to fighting Poverty and Social Exclusion

  10. 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.

  11. EU Integrated OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion How it works Overall Lisbon Objective: “make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty" by 2010 The Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) • Agreed European Objectives • National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (NRSSPSI) in each member state (Social Inclusion, Pensions and Health and Long-term care) • EU Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion (country chapters but now also ‘light years’ - 2007 focus on Child Poverty) • Peer review – (In November 2007 on Ireland’s NESF Social Inclusion Forum) • common indicators (in Annex 1: NAP Inclusion 2007-2016) • Funding through PROGRESS (Prog. For Economic and social Stability) • 2010 European Year Against Poverty and Social Exclusion

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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

  16. NRSSPSIStrengths • Involves Commission Overview including reports • Involves EU level indicators - including Relative Poverty. • Involves a learning process • Linked to other policy processes – Towards 2016, NDP etc • Importance of clear stated targets • Consistent Poverty target • Potential of Annual Social Inclusion Reports

  17. 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

  18. 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)

  19. 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

  20. Implementation

  21. Implementationcontd.

  22. 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

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