Munce says that any future Executive must urgently address Child Poverty
UUP Foyle Assembly candidate, Peter Munce has said today that it must be a priority of any future Executive to urgently address the issue of child poverty.
Mr Munce was speaking as he attended an event organised by NICVA in Londonderry to discuss the Government’s Anti – Poverty Strategy. The Anti-Poverty Strategy, Lifetime Opportunities, was launched by the Secretary of State, Peter Hain last year.
The UUP is committed to achieving the UK’s 2020 target to eradicate child poverty - focusing on lifting children out of severe poverty.
In a statement Peter said,
“It is an absolute moral disgrace that not enough has been done over the years to address the issue of child poverty. There is a deep responsibility on all of us who seek office to make life better for every child. Over a third of all children in Northern Ireland live in poverty and according to a survey by the Children’s charity Barnardos child poverty is worse than in any other area of the UK.
“We must use a future Assembly, not only to raise awareness of the extent to which our children are trapped in a cycle of deprivation, poverty and hopelessness, but to find better policy solutions to the issues at hand so that we can give hope to every child and allow them to have the best possible start in life.
“Social exclusion dramatically affects the quality of life for individuals, families and communities. It stifles ambition, destroys hope and damages lives. Ulster Unionists value and respect the potential of every child and want to create the right environment in which they can flourish and have real opportunity.
“The UUP wants to see an implementation plan and resources for the Government’s anti – poverty strategy to translate the aspirations in the Lifetime Opportunities document into reality and focused initiatives on the 35,000 children in Northern Ireland experiencing severe poverty.”