Exceptional opportunity to tackle poverty
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Ireland's rapidly expanding economy and other factors provide an
exceptional opportunity to make a major advance in eliminating
poverty
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There was a homeless person sleeping rough on the street leading to
the Bank of Ireland conference rooms where the Combat Poverty Agency
(CPA) held a press conference to launch its strategic plan for the
next three years. It is not a unique occurrence on the streets of
Dublin today but it does underpin the growing inequities in Irish
society and is a telling reminder of how much has to be done to
eliminate poverty in Irish society.
Combat Poverty's plan has four key objectives. It wants to narrow
``the gap between rich and poor through promoting a fairer
distribution of resources, services and employment opportunities'';
achieve ``a coherent and planned public policy on child poverty'';
``advance the opportunity offered by the peace process to build a more
inclusive and participative democracy on this island''; and ensure
that the 26-County ``Anti-Poverty Strategy will have made significant
progress in reducing and preventing poverty''.
Sinn Féin representatives had met with Combat Poverty when the agency
was formulating its plan and outlined the party's position on the
causes of poverty as well possible solutions to eliminating it. The
party was just one of a range of political representatives that were
consulted by the Combat Poverty Agency when they were formulating
their strategy.
One of the most positive elements of the three-year plan is the
Agency's proposals to tackle child poverty. CPA director Hugh Frazer
told the media that ``we plan to organise and sustain a child poverty
awareness campaign''. The CPA's goals for child poverty include
engaging in enhanced research and analysis on the causes of child
poverty as well as seeking the establishment of targets and specific
actions to target child poverty.
In the context of supporting ``a more inclusive and participative
democracy on this island'' the CPA plans to foster dialogue between
policy-makers the community and the voluntary sector as well as
monitor EU Peace and Reconciliation funds in a way which maximises
social inclusion and reconciliation. The CPA also wants to deepen
public and policy understanding of poverty and social exclusion in
the border counties.
Perhaps one of the most telling parts of the of the agency's three
year plan is their belief that the Ireland's rapidly expanding
economy and other factors provide an exceptional opportunity to make
a major advance in eliminating poverty. The CPA has laid down the
challenge. The question is whether or not the Dublin government is up
to it.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)