Tackling Child Poverty in Isolation is a Utopian Fantasy - Cobain
Speaking ahead of a debate on child poverty tomorrow, Ulster Unionist Social Development spokesman Fred Cobain said that in order to tackle and eradicate child poverty, an overall targeted approach to tackling overall poverty was needed.
Mr Cobain said that target dates for the reduction and eventual eradication by 2020 of Child Poverty were ambitious without attempts to tackle issues such as Social Housing, Education and Community renewal projects.
In a statement Mr Cobain said,
“The people of Northern Ireland were hoping that with Direct Rule Ministers away, the Assembly and Executive would begin tackling important issues, such as child poverty. So far we have had heard all the usual platitudes and well meaning rhetoric, with little or no difference being felt on the ground.
Tackling child poverty is not something that can be done in isolation, it is entwined in a plethora of social problems. We need to tackle poverty at a number of roots. Social Housing provision must continue to grow. It is estimated that Northern Ireland needs between 2000-2500 new houses to meet the growing numbers of homeless people. The Department of Social Development is building just 600.
We need to give breaks to the working poor, not cripple them with more rates or water charges, we need to inject meaningful funds into education, targeting areas of disadvantage.
Without a dedicated strategy to tackle the roots of poverty I fear that the target to reduce child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020 are nothing more than a utopian fantasy, being discussed without any real thought and without any contextual map.”