AQW 2875/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 06/09/2022
Answered On Date: 16/09/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the work her Department is undertaking to address child poverty.

Answer:

My Department is leading on the development of the Executive’s Anti-Poverty Strategy through a co-design process with a focus on ensuring that stakeholders’ voices and lived experience are considered as part of the Strategy development process. Development of the Strategy will identify inequalities and will focus on actions to address the issues, barriers and disadvantages that undermine equality of opportunity for all those including children in or at risk of poverty.

The Executive’s Child Poverty Strategy was extended to May 2022 to ensure that government continues to work collectively to tackle the issues faced by children and families impacted by poverty.

Work on the Strategy drafting process is ongoing in readiness for presentation to an incoming Executive. Subject to Executive approval, the Draft Strategy will be issued for public consultation and all interested parties will have the opportunity to respond.