Social welfare recipients on the lowest rates of payment will receive the equivalent of €150 a week by 2007, according to the Government's revised anti-poverty strategy published yesterday.
The strategy also aims to reduce the numbers of those who are "consistently poor" below two per cent and, if possible, eliminate consistent poverty.
The Government categorises people living in "consistent poverty" as those who are below up to 60 per cent of average disposable income and expenditure. Basic deprivation refers to the lack of specific key basic necessities.
Speaking at the launch of "Building an Inclusive Society", the revised National Anti-Poverty Strategy, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, said a further aim was the setting of an appropriate level of basic child income support at 35 per cent of the minimum adult social welfare payment.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said this strategy, which had emerged following wide consultation, represented what he believed was a soundly based and challenging framework for tackling disadvantage and exclusion.
The central importance of the strategy, he said, was to set ambitious and measurable targets, based on the best available research, which provide an effective framework for action. In line with the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness the social partners were centrally involved in the revision of the strategy.
The Taoiseach said the figure for consistent poverty, available when the strategy was published in 1996, was 15 per cent.
The latest figure, for 2000, showed this had fallen to just over 6 per cent. In practical terms, he said, this meant 400,000 people had been lifted out of poverty.
Much remained to be done, said Mr Ahern, and he believed it was achievable, on the basis of balanced and progressive policies, to effectively end poverty.
However, the document points out that given the "current budgetary environment, it is clear the Government will have to consider carefully the allocation of resources" to the strategy.
Mr Ahern said new themes had been introduced to the strategy to include housing and health with specific targets identified for women, children and people with disabilities.
Addressing people with disabilities, the strategy said that "few specific targets have been set at this time for people with disabilities".
This, it said, is largely because of the lack of available baseline data for this group.
A key objective of the strategy will be to "develop appropriate data as part of the data strategy emanating from the review. Once this is available, consideration will be given to the development of a range of appropriate measures for this group". One of the "key targets" under the health section is to reduce the gap in premature mortality between the lowest and the highest socioeconomic groups by at least 10 per cent for circulatory diseases, for cancers and for injuries and poisoning by 2007.
In the area of housing a "key target" is to ensure that supply is brought more into line with demand and that the housing requirements set out in the National Development Plan (500,000 new units between 2000-2010) are achieved in a planned and coherent way.
Another is to eliminate long- term unemployment as soon as circumstances permit, but not later than 2007.
It also aims to reduce the level of unemployment experienced by vulnerable groups towards the national average by 2007.
The strategy proposes new and enhanced institutional structures, such as the National Office for Social Inclusion, to underpin the implementation and monitoring of the revised strategy.
Mr Ahern said in 1997 unemployment was 10.3 per cent and is now reduced to 4.3 per cent.
Consistent poverty among children, he said, had been reduced from 17 per cent in 1997 to 8 per cent in 2000.
"The revised strategy looks to the future and aims to build on the progress that we have made. It recognises that exclusion and poverty are broad concepts."
Editorial comment: page 17
Reduce the number of people who are "consistently poor" below 2 per cent by 2007, and if possible eliminate consistent poverty.
Pay social welfare recipients on the lowest rates of social welfare €150 a week in 2002 terms by the year 2007.
Eliminate long-term unemployment as soon as circumstances permit.
Halve the proportion of pupils with serious literacy difficulties by 2006.
Reduce the gap in premature mortality between the lowest and highest socioeconomic groups by at least 10 per cent for certain diseases by 2007.
Ensure housing supply is brought more into line with demand.
Reduce the gap in life expectancy between the traveller community and the whole population by at least 10 per cent by 2007.