“The over 14% of Irish people living in poverty and those who are increasingly drifting into long term unemployment have few advocates and little power.  The infrastructure of services and organisations supporting people in poverty is fragile and over-burdened. Despite that fragility, the infrastructure that does exist has been seriously diminished by disproportionate cuts to vital community supports,” said Mr. O’Connor.

Mr. O’Connor made his remarks at a launch of a book commemorating twenty years of the European Anti Poverty Network Ireland. The new book, Ireland and the European Social Inclusion Strategy: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead, reflects on the substantial progress made in tackling poverty and social exclusion in Ireland over that period, while also acknowledging that even at the height of Ireland’s economic success, there remained very significant problems for people at risk of poverty including access to services, increased income inequality and access to the labour market.  The book also sets out a vision for a European Union that serves people and society ahead of powerful economic lobby groups.

Thirteen expert contributors – including representatives from civil society, academia, politics, and the civil service – assess the impact of the European Social Inclusion Strategy in Ireland – in which Ireland was once to the fore – and set out a roadmap for how European policy can be leveraged to tackle poverty at national level, leading to a fairer and more equal society.

Welcoming newly appointed Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs Pat Carey TD – who launched the book –  Mr. O’Connor encouraged the Minister to take stock of the many positive initiatives and policies that were implemented by successive governments over the last decade.

“It is important to recognise that while many issues were unresolved at the outset of the recession; considerable progress was made in tackling poverty and social exclusion in this country through imaginative and effective policies. That progress did not happen in a vacuum, but as a result of genuine dialogue and partnership between the government, civil society and marginalised individuals and groups. It is also important to remember – as this book attests – that two decades of progress in tackling poverty began in the eighties, a period in which we faced challenges just as serious as those today. That proves that it is not just a question of money, but rather of political commitment to the poorest in society,” said Mr. O’Connor.

Note to editors:

• Ireland and the European Social Inclusion Strategy: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead will be launched by Pat Carey TD, Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs at Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street, at 5pm on 1^st July 2010. All welcome.
• Speakers will include Minister Carey (Irish Government), Philip O’Connor (Chairperson EAPN Ireland), and Fintan Farrell (Director of EAPN Europe).
• Copies of the book are available from EAPN Ireland of from www.eapn.ie

For more information or to arrange interviews contact:

Paul Ginnell

Policy and Support Officer

European Anti Poverty Network Ireland

(01) 874 5737 / 087 640 2200

Paul Ginnell, policy officer with EAPN Ireland said: “Today is a good day for Europe and the agreement represents an important political commitment to the 85 million people across the European Union who live in poverty.”

However, Mr. Ginnell warned that the objective will be doomed to failure unless member states – including Ireland – present concrete proposals for tackling poverty at national level.

“If Ireland is serious about reducing poverty then signing up to this objective is only the first step; a marked shift in policy and decision making is required. Nearly 620,000 Irish people live at risk of poverty, further cuts to their incomes, and cuts to community and social investment will rapidly reverse recent progress in reducing poverty in Ireland. At a recent TASC roundtable, it was stated that current deflationary policies are pushing the poor and the marginalised ever closer to the edge. Aside from the devastating effects to individuals and communities at risk of poverty, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests such policies will depress the economy further. We need a new departure in policy making, one that prioritises a fair and equitable tax system, increased social investment, and a renewed emphasis on tackling poverty and inequality” said Mr. Ginnell

The European Anti-Poverty Network has sent a letter to all European heads of state, outlining four key demands:

1. Take urgent action to prevent the increase of poverty and social exclusion by increasing social investment and strengthening social protection systems and public services.
2. Support an ambitious European Poverty Reduction Target and strengthen that commitment with national targets and strategies to reduce poverty and social exclusion.
3. Ensure that social objectives are mainstreamed throughout the Europe 2020 strategy. The stubborn and obsessive focus on growth and jobs in the last ten year plan from the EU is now widely recognised to have failed.
4. Embed and support active partnership with civil society organisations from the start. Civil society, NGOs and the community sector have the capacity and experience to implement strategies that will lift individuals and communities out of poverty.

The European Council will today decide on key elements of Europe 2020 – the EU’s new strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The proposal from the recent Employment and Social Affairs Council of an EU target to reduce poverty and social exclusion by 20 million by 2020, based on an aggregate indicator (at risk of poverty, material deprivation and jobless households) will be central to the discussion at the Council.

ENDS –

i In the EU people falling below 60% of median income are said to be “at-risk-of poverty”. The median line is the middle (not the average) income. According to the Survey on Income and Living Conditions, the median weekly income is €388.07, and so the poverty line is €232.84.

For more information contact:

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

What: Regional seminar on poverty and social exclusion

Where: Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork City, Co. Cork

When: Thursday June 3^rd 2010 (10.00 – 13.00)

A seminar will take place in Cork City on Thursday 3^rd June at which people experiencing poverty and social exclusion will have an opportunity to have their voices heard and speak directly with policy and decision makers. The regional Seminar has been organised by an alliance of community and voluntary organisations in conjunction with the Social Inclusion Division of the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht.  It is one of four regional seminars to be held throughout Ireland as part of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

The seminar will focus on four key themes; child poverty, access to quality work and learning opportunities, access to services, and people with disabilities.

Ann Irwin, Coordinator of the Community Worker’s Cooperative said, “the seminars will provide an all too rare opportunity for people experiencing poverty and social exclusion to speak about the issues and challenges that they face in their daily lives. Even more importantly, participants can discuss and present suggestions on how those issues and challenges can be addressed at local, national and European level. The seminars provide a space to connect people to the policies and decision makers that affect their lives.”

“The regional nature of the seminars is also hugely important; Thursday’s event provides an opportunity for participants from all over Cork City and surrounding counties to influence policy and decision makers from Government and state agencies,” said Ms. Irwin.

The four main objectives of the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion – recognition, ownership, cohesion and commitment – represent an opportunity to state categorically that:

• Poverty and social exclusion are unacceptable
• Poverty and social exclusion are bad for everyone in society
• The eradication of poverty and social exclusion is a collective challenge for all
• The eradication of poverty and social exclusion must be firmly put and remain at the top of the EU agenda and its member states

A brief programme is attached to this email and provides further information. Thursday’s event is open to the media and interested parties are invited to confirm their intention to attend with the organisers. Seminar participants/organisers/government representatives will be available for comment or interview on the day.

For more information and/or to confirm attendance please contact:

Ann Irwin

Coordinator

Community Worker’s Cooperative

0879326467

Or

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

Note for Editors:

The four regional seminars will be coordinated by the Community Worker’s Cooperative, European Anti Poverty Network Ireland and the Community Platform. The events are supported by the Social Inclusion Division, Dept. of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs as part of Ireland’s National Programme for the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

Speaking at the European Commission sponsored event, Ms. Visser argued that the inclusion of a 25% poverty reduction target in the original draft of ‘Europe 2020’ represented a “realisation on the part of the European Commission that an obsessive focus on jobs and growth will not and cannot provide the solution for the 80 million European citizens that live in poverty”.

In 2000 the Lisbon Strategy aimed to ‘make a decisive impact on poverty by 2010′. In 2000 16% of the EU population lived at risk of poverty, in 2008 the rate stood at 17%, over 80 million people. Despite the abject failure of the last strategy to reduce poverty, certain EU Heads of State are opposing the inclusion of a poverty reduction target in ‘Europe 2020’. A number of Heads of State have expressed concern and annoyance at the idea that the European Union has either the right or the remit to set targets on poverty reduction.

“The argument that the EU does not have the competence to include these targets is nonsense for two reasons. Firstly, there is no suggestion that these targets will be legally binding. Progress will be monitored through the open method of coordination – a soft law mechanism developed to support the development of best practice among EU members. To suggest – as a number of EU leaders have – that the European Union is encroaching into territory that is outside it’s remit is disingenuous and patently false,” said Ms. Visser.

Ms. Visser continued:

“Secondly, the Lisbon Treaty includes a specific provision that allows the European Union to support Member States in their efforts to fight social exclusion. The inclusion of the renewed focus on social inclusion in the Lisbon Treaty recognises the importance of a more visible and ambitious European role in actively improving the lives of people experiencing poverty.”

The fate of the poverty reduction target will be decided at the next council meeting in June. EAPN Ireland is calling on the Irish Government to state its unambiguous and unequivocal support for the retention of the target. Failure to include the target will make a mockery of the European Union’s commitment to tackling poverty, particularly given that the European Commission has designated 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

“The poverty reduction target has the potential to start the long process of reconnecting the European Union to its citizens. Although modest enough, such a target would – if successful – lift over 20 million people out of poverty and towards the chance of a better life,” said Ms. Visser.

Notes to Editors:

Talk to the EU – “Poverty What Can the EU Do?”

Royal Irish Academy

Dawson St.

Dublin 2

14.30-16.30

•           Images of Event will be distributed to photo desks

•           Speech transcripts will be provided

For More Information contact:

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

(01) 874 5737 / 087 7587922

www.eapn.ie

mark@eapn.ie

Commenting on today’s outcome, Anna Visser, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network said, “the decision taken by the Heads of State is a double edged sword. On the one hand we are very pleased that intensive lobbying of the Commission by organisations like EAPN has resulted in the inclusion of poverty reduction as a key objective in the new Europe 2020 strategy. On the other hand we’re very concerned that member states may end up merely paying lip-service to the eighty million Europeans living in poverty by failing to include a poverty target for the next ten years.”

Ms. Visser continued:

“Fine words are well and good but history and experience prove that action and targets are what count. The decision on targets and progress indicators is postponed until June when following a ‘reflection period’, the European Heads of State will have to spell out their level of commitment to eliminating poverty in Europe. We’re calling on the Irish Government to lead the charge in ensuring that the proposed target to reduce poverty by 25% in the next decade makes it into the Europe 2020 Strategy. It is time for Ireland to clarify its position and get behind a measure that will improve the lives of millions of people in the European Union. Failure to adopt a specific target would grossly undermine the credibility of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.”

ENDS

*Progress indicators measure a country’s performance against other member states in the context of issues such as poverty rates, employment levels, early school leaving, gender pay-gap etc.

For More Information Contact:

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

The proposed poverty target was set out by the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso in ‘Europe 2020 – A European Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth’. The document which will be discussed at next week’s Spring Council Meeting in Brussels on 24^th and 25^th March, succeeds the Lisbon Agenda as the European Union’s ‘roadmap’ for economic, social and environmental progress.

“It is imperative that the Irish Government supports and adopts this target. Failure to back the adoption of a concrete European target would send a hugely negative message about the government’s own commitment to eliminate consistent poverty by 2016, to the 625,000 Irish people who live every day at risk of poverty, and to the 84 million people who live at risk of poverty across the European Union. A familiar refrain from the Government in the run-up to last December’s budget was ‘everyone must share in the pain’. It is now time for the Government to prove that everyone will share in the recovery,” said Ms. Visser.

The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland is calling for the Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD and Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin TD to urgently clarify whether the Irish Government will be supporting the adoption of the target. 2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Relative/At Risk of Poverty: A person is at risk of poverty if they have an income that is less than what is regarded as the norm in society, giving a lower than normal standard of living. It is “relative” because it is measured by how much less it is relative to the income of the majority of people. It is usually expressed as a percentage figure, e.g. the 60% relative income poverty line is 60% of the disposable income of the average household.” This is the most common measure of poverty used across the EU, where it is often referred to as the ‘at risk of poverty’ level.

Consistent Poverty: This is the poverty measurement preferred by the Irish Government and developed independently by the Irish Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). This measure identifies the proportion of people who are both relatively poor (less than 60% of median income) and who are also deprived of at least two of the 11 goods or services considered essential for a basic standard of living. Click here for details of the indicators.

Poverty Targets: Ireland has no relative/at risk of poverty target. The poverty target in Ireland’s National Action Plan for Social Inclusion2007-2016 is “to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2% and 4% by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016.”

Relative/At Risk of Poverty Rates in Ireland

• In 2008, 14.4% of the population were at risk of poverty.
• Children were the most at risk group in Ireland with an at risk of poverty rate of 18%
• Lone Parent Households were the most at risk household group with an at risk of poverty rate of 36.4%
• The 2008 at risk of poverty rate in monetary terms was 12,455.
• Social Transfers (e.g. pension, unemployment benefit)  are very effective tools for reducing poverty. Without social transfers, over 40% of children and nearly 90% of over 75s would be at risk of poverty.

Consistent Poverty Rates in Ireland

• The percentage of Irish people living in consistent poverty in 2008 was 4.2%.
• The consistent poverty rate for the unemployed in 2008 was 9.7%.
• The consistent poverty rate for at work/retired people was 1.1%.
• Children remain the most vulnerable group with 6.3% (about 63,000) living in consistent poverty.
• Nearly one in five (17.8%) lone parent households were in consistent poverty in 2008.

For More Information Contact

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

“All over Europe, people are coming together to say that they don’t want a return to the obsessive focus on growth, or to the economics of boom and bust. Grassroots movements are organising and demanding innovative and sustainable solutions to the crisis. Solutions like a Robin Hood tax on speculative banking; a High Pay Commission to tackle inequality, and a standard of minimum income to raise millions of people and children in Europe above the poverty line and towards a better life,” she said.

Ms. Visser made the comments in her opening address to over 250 delegates attending the EAPN international conference on tackling poverty in Ireland and Europe entitled ‘Building Social Europe – from crisis to opportunity’ which is being held today (Friday) at Croke Park, Dublin.

She continued, “The European Union is losing the fight against poverty and must reassert itself as a progressive force for social and economic change.  It is losing the battle for hearts and minds and has forgotten Jean Monnet’s famous assertion that the Union is about uniting people, not states.”

The EAPN warns that it is time for the European Union to accept that the Growth and Jobs Strategy has not delivered for the 80 million European citizens who live in poverty in one of the richest regions in the world. “According to Eurostat, the European At Risk of Poverty rate has remained more or less static at 16% since 2005; which is hardly an unqualified success,” said Ms. Visser.

“2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion and it represents a unique opportunity for the European Union to reinvent itself and emerge from this shared crisis with a renewed mandate from its citizens and a roadmap to rebuild the European social and economic model.”

The conference brought together speakers, panellists and contributors including Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin, T.D.; Marie Donnelly, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission; Mary Doyle, Deputy Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach, Proinsias de Rossa, MEP, and Jerome Vignon, Former Director of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission.

The conference will set out a vision for a better Europe and for a European project that will reduce and eliminate poverty in the EU over the next ten years.

-ends-

For More Information & to Arrange Interviews Contact:

Mark Byrne

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

“For the last decade, the European Commission has espoused a ‘growth before all else message’. In its analysis of the Lisbon Strategy, the Commission concluded that the plan would have been a huge success had it not been for the economic crisis. This is absurd for a number of reasons.”

“Firstly, European Commission policies and priorities had a direct – and in many cases negative – impact on the ability of Member States to cope with the economic crisis. The liberalisation and ‘growth above all else’ agenda weakened the social infrastructure of many member states. As a result, the economic crisis had a far more negative human impact than might otherwise have been the case.”

Ms. Visser continued

“Secondly, to pretend that everything was fine in the European Union before the economic crisis is nothing more than self-delusion. Even in 2007 there were 78 million people living in poverty in the European Union. One in five children born in the European Union faced poverty from the first day of their lives. Growth and jobs are important but not as important as sustainable growth and decent jobs.”

2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. EAPN Ireland is calling on EU leaders to ensure that the next ten year plan focuses on people and society as well as economic issues. On 19^th February 2010, The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland will host an International Conference “Building Social Europe: From Crisis to Opportunity” at Croke Park Dublin. For more information, visit www.eapn.ie

For More Information Contact:

Mark Byrne

Information and Awareness

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

A decade of progress on poverty in Ireland will be reversed without immediate action from the Government, according to Anna Visser, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland. Speaking before the launch (05/02/10) of the Irish programme for the 2010 European year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Ms. Visser called on the Government to ensure a lasting legacy for the 2010 year; including a job strategy, a commitment on no further cuts to the incomes of the poorest in society, and a plan for how the Government will reach its own target of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016.

“Relative and consistent poverty rates have been declining in Ireland for nearly a decade, but we are now at a tipping point in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. If Government policy continues to ignore the unemployment and social crisis in favour of banking, construction and cuts to public services, then it is highly probable that Ireland will see a considerable increase in poverty rates in years ahead”.

“The Government’s obsessive focus on the banking and construction sectors means that decisions made in the last two budgets exacerbated the employment and social crisis that Ireland is facing. There are over 420,000 people on the live register and they have had no indication at all that their plight is a priority for the Government. Similarly, the Government has been totally silent on the massive crisis in terms of youth employment – one in three young men under the age of 24 is now unemployed. Just 6.7% per cent of employed people are at risk of poverty in Ireland but that figure rises to 23% for unemployed people.”

Ms Visser continued:

“2010 is an opportunity for the Government to provide a positive vision of how Irish society can emerge from recession and how we rebuild and strengthen our social and economic foundations.” The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland will play a crucial role in lobbying and campaigning around its objectives for the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Those objectives and campaigns include:

• Securing a roadmap from the Irish Government on how it intends to meet its own target – as set out in ‘Towards 2016’ – to reduce consistent poverty to between 2-4% by 2012 and to eliminate it entirely by 2016.
• EAPN Ireland will – through its campaigns and alliances – lobby the Government to develop and implement a comprehensive activation plan to get people back to work. Less than two years ago, Ireland had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union. It now has one of the highest.
• EAPN Ireland will campaign against any further cuts to the incomes of the poorest and most vulnerable in society.
• EAPN Ireland is calling on the Government to develop a comprehensive ‘participation in policy making’ framework to build on the success of the Social Inclusion Forum.

EAPN Ireland will hold an international conference “Building Social Europe: From Crisis to Opportunity” in Dublin on 19^th February to discuss how best to tackle and eliminate poverty in the European Union over the next decade.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland lobbies and campaigns for a stronger social dimension to policymaking at European and national level. EAPN Ireland is a network of groups and individuals working against poverty and social exclusion. The organisation is the Irish network of the European Anti-Poverty Network. EAPN Ireland works towards keeping poverty at the top of the Irish and European agenda through training, lobbying, policy development, and information dissemination.
• More information on poverty in Ireland and Europe, and on the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion is available from www.eapn.ie

For More Information Contact:

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922

Commenting on tomorrow’s launch (21/01/01) in Madrid of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Anna Visser Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland said that “the year represents an opportunity for the Government to prove that it is serious about tackling poverty, unemployment, and the devastating social legacy of the economic crash.”

“Ireland’s at-risk-of-poverty rate for 2008 was 14.4%*. However, the figures from 2008 also show that much work remains to be done in reducing at-risk-of poverty levels for vulnerable groups; particularly children (18%), lone parents (36%) and the unemployed (23%).”

“The unemployment crisis is a huge threat to Ireland’s social and economic future and a failure to address the problem in 2010 will drive thousands of people and families below the poverty line. Just 6.7% per cent of employed people are at risk of poverty in Ireland but that figure rises to 23% for unemployed people. The 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion represents an opportunity for the Government to set out a serious and ambitious plan for getting people back to work,” said Ms. Visser.

Ms. Visser continued;

“2010 is also an opportunity to hear the voices of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Those voices have been largely absent from the debate and EAPN Ireland will be working throughout the year to encourage and promote the participation of people who actually experience issues like poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and social exclusion in decision making and in the debate about the country’s recovery.”

Nearly 80 million people – 16% of the EU population – live below the poverty line. The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland will hold a major international conference in Dublin on the 19^th February to set out a vision for how the European Union and member states can use the 2010 European year to make a decisive and permanent impact on poverty and social exclusion.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland lobbies and campaigns for a stronger social dimension to policymaking at European and national level. EAPN Ireland is a network of groups and individuals working against poverty and social exclusion. The organisation is the Irish network of the European Anti-Poverty Network. EAPN Ireland works towards keeping poverty at the top of the Irish and European agenda through training, lobbying, policy development, and information dissemination.
• More information on the 2010 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion is available from www.eapn.ie
• A coalition of European NGO networks has come together for 2010 to lobby for a strong political legacy for the 2010 year. More information is available from www.endpoverty.eu.
• *EU Survey on Living and Income Conditions 2008 (available from www.cso.ie)

For More Information Contact:

Mark Byrne

Communications Officer

European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland

22 Great Strand Street

Dublin 1

www.eapn.ie

01-8745737 / 0877587922