A six-year plan has been announced to combat poverty and high levels of social exclusion in Wexford. Wexford Area Partnership says the county has the lowest per capita income in the south-east, a high school drop-out rate and unemployment of 20 per cent in some areas.
Its Social Inclusion Plan for the Wexford Area - 2000-2006 targets a number of disadvantaged groups including the long-term unemployed, Travellers, one-parent families and early school-leavers.
The partnership's manager, Mr Bernard O'Brien, said at last week's launch of the document that because of its location on the east coast Wexford was perceived as benefiting from the economic boom, but "nothing could be further from the truth".
For example, unemployment had fallen nationally by 17 per cent in the 12 months to February this year, whereas in Wexford the decrease had been just 9 per cent.
"In the last five years 800 Wexford children have become early school-leavers - this represents the enrolment of a large secondary school. These figures are not acceptable. We are calling for a common and united approach in tackling these and other issues associated with poverty and social exclusion in the Wexford area."
The partnership says that in its catchment area - Wexford town and the immediate surrounding area - 68 per cent of men out of work are classified as long-term unemployed and nearly half of these had left school with no formal educational qualifications.
At least 87 Travelling families live within the partnership's area and almost 40 of these are in need of accommodation. Four out of five are in receipt of social welfare and there is a "functional illiteracy rate" of 70 per cent. Other target groups identified in the plan include people with disabilities, alienated young people, those affected by substance abuse and cultural minorities.
Mr O'Brien said a number of groups had been "left behind" by the growth in the economy and it was clear that Wexford was not benefiting as much as other counties. Wealth creation figures for Wexford, he said, were the third lowest in the State, behind only Roscommon and Leitrim. The measure used, gross value added per capita, stood at £6,000 in Wexford, compared to £15,000 in south Tipperary, which was the highest in the south-east. Per capita income, at £12,774, was the sixth lowest in the State.
The partnership says it will target resources at the groups which specifically need them. The projects planned include continued support for small enterprises, school-based initiatives to help keep potential early leavers in education, childcare programmes and support for the integration of refugees and asylum-seekers.