THE COMBAT Poverty Agency would be stripped of its independent role and subsumed into the Department of Social and Family Affairs if an unpublished review being considered by the Government is adopted.
The agency - a statutory organisation responsible for advising the Government on policies to reduce poverty in Ireland - has often been critical of the lack of effective action to target poverty in the past.
A review of the organisation was started in June of 2007 by the office for social inclusion, which is based in the Department of Social Affairs.
The Irish Times has learned that the office finalised its report in recent days and recommended to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin that the agency be merged within the office for social inclusion.
Another option, which was examined but not recommended by the office, was to incorporate the agency into the National Economic and Social Development Office. This group consists of Government advisory bodies such as the National Social and Economic Forum.
In a statement yesterday a spokeswoman for the Minister confirmed that the review has been submitted to the Minister and is being considered. No decision has been taken. Ms Hanafin was unavailable for comment yesterday, but she has questioned whether the agency's work is replicated by similar bodies in other areas such as education.
When contacted yesterday evening, the Combat Poverty Agency said it was aware of the recommendations. Brian Duncan, chairman of the organisation's board, said the board had sent a letter to the Minister in which it expressed its opposition to the move.
"We are aware of the fact that the report has been finalised and understand that it has been sent to the Minister. We would strongly reject the proposal to integrate it into the department as we would completely lose our ability to be an independent voice on poverty and to advance solutions to help combat poverty," Mr Duncan said.
The Labour Party has strongly opposed such moves, along with non-governmental organisations such as the European Anti-Poverty Network. Anna Visser, director of European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland, said the independent nature of the Combat Poverty Agency's work was critical and it was impossible to envisage how this remit could be sustained if the agency was absorbed into the department.
"This is a time when new energy and focus needs to be given to the fight against poverty, this will not be achieved by burying the Combat Poverty Agency within the Civil Service," said Ms Visser.
"With unemployment levels at their highest in 10 years, the agency's mission to present creative policy solutions, stimulate innovative projects, promote research and raise public awareness, remains as critical today as when it was established in 1986."
Ms Visser said it welcomed efforts to enhance efficiency and get the maximum value from taxpayers' money. However, she said an amalgamation with the National Economic and Social Development Office was a better option.