Motion

Reducing Child Poverty

Motion TitleReducing Child Poverty

Motion TextThat this Assembly expresses profound regret at the findings of the recent NI Audit Office report on Child Poverty, including the shocking finding that one in five children in Northern Ireland are living in relative poverty and nearly10 per cent of households are unable to afford basic goods; calls on the Minister for Communities to lay before the Assembly, no later than September 2024, a comprehensive child poverty strategy which includes specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty by the end of this mandate; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Finance to agree an ambitious ring-fenced budget to deliver on the aforementioned child poverty reduction targets by the end of this mandate.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office20/03/2024

Date Selected By Committee20/03/2024

Date of Plenary Debate15/04/2024

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Matthew O'Toole	MLA - South Belfast
Ms Cara Hunter	MLA - East Londonderry

Bills

Outcome/Voting

The Motion, As Amended, Was Carried by Oral Vote

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	10/04/2024	Leave out all after ‘before the Assembly,’ and insert: ‘an integrated and comprehensive anti-poverty strategy underpinning a future Programme for Government, as agreed in previous mandates, to include specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty with targeted prevention strategies, as well as robust monitoring mechanisms to measure outcomes and to enable data to be collated and analysed; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to work with the Minister of Finance to agree the necessary funding package to deliver on child poverty reduction targets by the end of this mandate.’

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
10/04/2024	After ‘basic goods;’ insert: ‘agrees that any budget cuts implemented by this Executive will likely increase child poverty across the board; and further agrees that Departments should be allowed to work to a managed overspend where necessary to improve children’s living standards;’
11/04/2024	Leave out all after ‘Communities;’ and insert: ‘to work with Executive colleagues to ensure lessons are learnt across all Departments and to develop a comprehensive Executive anti-poverty strategy which includes specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to work with colleagues, including the Minister of Finance, to agree an ambitious Executive budget to implement, and deliver on, the aforementioned strategy by the end of this mandate.’

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

10/04/2024

After ‘basic goods;’ insert: ‘agrees that any budget cuts implemented by this Executive will likely increase child poverty across the board; and further agrees that Departments should be allowed to work to a managed overspend where necessary to improve children’s living standards;’

11/04/2024

Leave out all after ‘Communities;’ and insert: ‘to work with Executive colleagues to ensure lessons are learnt across all Departments and to develop a comprehensive Executive anti-poverty strategy which includes specific and measurable targets to reduce child poverty; and further calls on the Minister for Communities to work with colleagues, including the Minister of Finance, to agree an ambitious Executive budget to implement, and deliver on, the aforementioned strategy by the end of this mandate.’

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Reducing Child Poverty

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