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Poverty and social exclusion can affect all age groups. It is multi-faceted and combating it requires a multi-policy response. This is reflected in the definition of poverty and social exclusion which the Government first adopted in 1997: People are living in poverty if their income and resources (material, cultural and social) are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people in society. This definition continues to be valid and underpins the Government’s strategic response to tackling poverty and social exclusion as set out in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007 – 2016 (NAPinclusion). What are the terms used? Many words concerning poverty and social exclusion are used interchangeably. However, they do have different meanings, as defined below: - Deprivation is defined as unmet basic human needs; - Poverty is deprivation due to a lack of resources, both material and non-material, e.g. income, housing, health, education, knowledge and culture. It requires a threshold to measure it; - Social exclusion is being unable to participate in society because of a lack of resources that are normally available to the general population. It can refer to both individuals, and communities in a broader framework, with linked problems such as low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments and family problems; - Inequality is a comparative or relative concept. It does not measure deprivation or poverty and does not require a threshold. It is possible for inequality to exist with or without poverty. Similarly, poverty can exist with or without inequality; - Resources can be personal, within the family, or within the society. How can we measure poverty? There is no one measure that gives a complete picture of the situation regarding deprivation, poverty and social exclusion. This is particularly true for a country like Ireland that has experienced rapid economic growth over the last ten years. Therefore, a number of indicators are used to measure progress in achieving social inclusion covering areas such as income, levels of deprivation, early school leaving, jobless households, long-term unemployment, and life expectancy. Indicators such as these are also used at EU level to obtain a picture of the situation regarding poverty and social exclusion across Member States. In June 2006 EU Member States adopted a revised set of common indicators of social protection and social inclusion. The main social inclusion indicators are as follows: Income - At risk of poverty rate - At risk of poverty rate anchored at a fixed moment in time - Persistent at risk of poverty rate - At risk of poverty gap - At risk of poverty rate before social transfers - Dispersion around the at risk of poverty threshold - In-work poverty risk - S80/S20 income ratio - Gini co-efficient Employment - Long-term unemployment rate - Regional Cohesion (dispersions of regional employment rates) - Jobless Households - Employment gap of immigrants - Making work pay indicators (unemployment trap, inactivity trap, low-wage trap) Education - Early school leavers - Persons with low educational attainment - Low reading literacy performance of pupils Health - Healthy life expectancy - Child well-being (to be developed) Housing - Housing (to be developed) Deprivation - Material deprivation (to be developed) - Self reported limitations in daily activities More information on EU social inclusion indicators can be obtained from the European Commission website at: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_inclusion/indicators_en.htm What targets have been set to reduce poverty? The target set in the Revised National Anti Poverty Strategy (2002) was to reduce the numbers of those who are consistently poor to 2.0% by 2007 and, if possible, to eliminate consistent poverty, as then defined. A major discontinuity between the Living in Ireland Survey (LIIS), previously used for monitoring progress, and the new EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), which was introduced from 2003, meant that it was not possible to compare trends in consistent poverty between the two surveys. However, continuing low levels of unemployment and the substantial resources devoted to social welfare and other social services support the view that the downward trend, (from 8.3% in 1994 to 4.1% in 2001), would have continued and the target would have been reached. The overall goal of the new NAPinclusion is to make a decisive impact on consistent poverty. This is underlined by the fact that a new target is being set, using the new set of up-to-date indicators, which are more realistic and in keeping with living standards today. The new target 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, under the revised definition. The new target reflects experience and expert advice that it may be difficult to bring consistent poverty down to zero. This is due in part to the subjective and sensitive nature of the survey questions used to identify deprivation. This is borne out by the fact that, in addition to those below the 60% poverty threshold, a significant minority of people with incomes above that threshold also report deprivation. This may occur for a variety of reasons such as consumption patterns and choices, or temporary and unexpected heavy spending. It is accepted, however, that the consistent poverty measure does clearly identify those who are most vulnerable. There are difficulties in setting poverty targets for a number of reasons, as recognised in the national social partnership agreement Towards 2016, including the relatively recent status of EU-SILC. Nonetheless, the Government and the social partners have agreed that it is important to set real and achievable targets. In this context, the overall approach to effective poverty measurement will be reviewed by Social Inclusion Division, supported by its Technical Advisory Group, which advises the Division on the development of its data strategy.
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Cad is bochtaineacht ann? Baineann an bhochtaineacht agus an t-eisiamh sóisialta leis na haoisghrúpaí go léir. Tá sé seo ilghnéitheach agus is gá freagairt ilbheartais chun dul i ngleic leis. Léirítear é seo i sainmhíniú na bochtaineachta agus an eisiaimh shóisialta a ghlac an rialtas in 1997: Tá daoine thíos leis an mbochtaineacht má tá a n-ioncam agus a n-acmhainní (saolta, cultúrtha agus sóisialta) chomh neamhleor sin go gcuireann sé bac orthu saol a bheith acu ar a bhféachann sochaí na hÉireann trí chéile mar inghlactha. Féadfar daoine a fhágáil ar lár agus a imeallú ó thaobh a bheith rannpháirteach i ngníomhaíochtaí a mheastar gnách do dhaoine eile sa tsochaí. Tá an sainmhíniú seo bailí fós agus tá sé mar bhonn agus mar thaca ag freagairt straitéiseach an Rialtais maidir le dul i ngleic leis an mbochtaineacht agus an eisiamh sóisialta mar a leagtar amach sa Phlean Gníomhaíochta Náisiúnta um Chuimsiú Sóisialta 2007 – 2016. Cad iad na téarmaí a úsáidtear? Úsáidtear roinnt téarmaí a bhaineann leis an mbochtaineacht agus an eisiamh sóisialta go hidirmhalartach. Mar sin féin, tá míniúcháin dhifriúla acu mar a shainmhínítear thíos: - Déantar díothú a shainmhíniú mar riachtanais bhunúsacha an duine nach gcomhlíontar; - Is ionann bochtaineacht agus díothú mar gheall ar easpa acmhainní, idir saolta agus neamhshaolta, m.sh. ioncam, tithíocht, sláinte, oideachas, eolas agus cultúr. Teastaíonn tairseach chun é a thomas; - Is éard is eisiamh sóisialta ann gan a bheith in ann a bheith rannpháirteach sa tsochaí mar gheall ar easpa acmhainní a bhíonn ar fáil de ghnáth don phobal ginearálta. Féadfaidh sé tagairt a dhéanamh do dhaoine aonair, agus phobail mar chuid de chreat níos leithne, in éineacht le fadhbanna eile amhail ioncaim isle, drochthithíocht, timpeallachtaí ardchoireachta agus patrúin theaghlaigh; - Is coincheap comparáideach nó coibhneasta í éagthroime. Ní tomhas ar dhíothú nó bochtaineacht é agus ní gá tairseach. Is féidir éagthroime a bheith ann in éineacht le nó gan bochtaineacht. Ar an gcuma chéanna, is féidir bochtaineacht a bheith ann in éineacht le nó gan éagthroime; - Is féidir le hacmhainní a bheith pearsanta, laistigh den teaghlach, nó laistigh den tsochaí. Conas is féidir linn an bhochtaineacht a thomhas? Níl aon tomhas ar leith a thugann léargas cruinn ar an gceist maidir le díothú, bochtaineacht agus eisiamh sóisialta. Tá sé seo fíor, ach go háirithe, do thír cosúil le hÉirinn ina raibh mearfhás geilleagrach thar na deich mbliana a chuaigh thart. Mar sin, úsáidtear roinnt táscairí chun dul chun cinn a thomas maidir le cuimsiú sóisialta a bhaint amach ina gcuimsítear réimsí amhail ioncam, leibhéil díothaithe, luathfhágáil scoile, teaghlaigh atá amuigh as an obair, agus ionchas saoil. Úsáidtear táscairí cosúil leo siúd ag an leibhéal Eorpach chun léargas a fháil ar cheist na bochtaineachta agus an eisiaimh shóisialta ar fud na mBallstát. Ghlac Ballstáit an AE, i mí an Mheithimh 2006, sraith comhtháscairí athbhreithnithe um chuimsú sóisialta agus coimirce sóisialta. Seo a leanas na príomhtháscairí um chuimsiú sóisialta: Ioncam - Ráta 'i mbaol na bochtaineachta' - Ráta 'i mbaol na bochtaineachta' ag tráth áirithe - Ráta 'i mbaol dianseasmhach na bochtaineachta' - Bearna 'i mbaol na bochtaineachta' - Ráta 'i mbaol na bochtaineachta' roimh aistrithe sóisialta - Spré maidir le tairseach 'i mbaol na bochtaineachta' - Baol na bochtaineachta agus tú ag obair - Cóimheas ioncaim S80/S20 - Comhéifeacht Gini Fostaíocht - Ráta dífhostaíochta lánaimseartha - Comhtháthú réigiúnach (spré rátaí fostaíochta réigiúnacha) - Teaghlaigh atá amuigh as obair - Bearna fostaíochta na n-inimearcach - Ag ceapadh táscairí maidir le hobair agus pá (sáinn na dífhostaíochta, sáinn na neamhghníomhaíochta, sáinn an phá ísil) Oideachas - Luathfhágálaithe scoile - Daoine a bhfuil leibhéal íseal oideachais acu - Feidhmíocht íseal maidir le bunlitearthacht daltaí Sláinte - Ionchas saoil maith - Folláine leanaí (le forbairt) Tithíocht Díothú - Díothú saolta (le forbairt) - Teorainneacha féintuairiscithe ar ghnáthghníomhaíochtaí Is féidir tuilleadh faisnéise ar tháscairí um chuimsiú sóisialta an AE a fháil ar láithreán gréasáin an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh ag: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_inclusion/indicators_en.htm Cad iad na spriocanna a leagadh amach d'fhonn bochtaineacht a laghdú? Ba í an sprioc a leagadh amach sa Straitéis Náisiúnta Frithbhochtaineachta Athbhreithnithe (2002) líon na ndaoine a bhíonn bocht go comhsheasmhach go dtí 2.0% faoi 2007 agus, más féidir, bochtaineacht chomhsheasmhach a dhíothú, mar a míníodh ag an am sin. Bhí neamhleanúnachas mór idir An Suirbhé um Maireachtáil in Éirinn (SMÉ), a úsáideadh roimhe chun monatóireacht a dhéanamh ar dhul chun cinn, agus Suirbhé nua an AE ar Choinníollacha Ioncaim agus Maireachtála (AE-CIM), a tugadh isteach in 2003 agus, mar sin, níorbh fhéidir comparáid a dhéanamh idir treochtaí i mbochtaineacht chomhsheasmhach idir an dá shuirbhé. Mar sin féin, bhí na leibhéil ísle dífhostaíochta leantacha agus na hacmhainní substaintiúla a díríodh ar leas sóisialach mar chomhartha go leanfadh an treocht a bhí ag dul i laghad, (ó 8.3% in 1994 go dtí 4.1% in 2001) agus go mbainfí amach an sprioc. Is í sprioc fhoriomlán an Phlean Gníomhaíochta Náisiúnta um Chuimsiú Sóisialta tionchar cinniúnach a bheith aige ar bhochtaineacht chomhsheasmhach. Neartaíonn an sprioc nua, atá á leagadh amach, é seo, a bhaineann úsáid as sraith nua táscairí atá cothrom le data, atá níos réadúla agus a thagann le caighdeáin mhaireachtála inniu. Is í an sprioc nua: Líon na ndaoine atá thíos leis an mbochtaineacht go comhsheasmhach a laghdú go dtí idir 2% go 4% faoi 2012, agus é mar aidhm aici an bhochtaineacht chomhsheasmhach a dhíothú faoi 2016, faoin sainmhíniú athbhreithnithe. Léirítear taithí agus comhairle ó shaineolaithe sa sprioc nua go bhféadfadh sé a bheith deacair an bhochtaineacht chomhsheasmhach a laghdú go huile is go hiomlán. Íogaireacht agus oibiachtúlacht na gceisteanna suirbhé a úsáideadh chun díothacht a aithint is cúis leis seo go pointe. Fíoraíonn an mionlach suntasach daoine le hioncaim os cionn na tairsí sin a thuairiscíonn díothacht é seo de bhreis orthu siúd faoi bhun na tairsí bochtaine de 60%. D'fhéadfadh sé seo tarlú ar roinnt cúinsí amhail patrúin tomhaltais agus roghanna, nó caiteachas trom gan choinne. Glactar leis, áfach, go n-aithníonn an tomhas bochtaine comhsheasmhach iad siúd is leochailí go soiléir. Baineann deacrachtaí le spriocanna bochtaine a leagadh síos ar roinnt cúiseanna, mar a aithnítear sa chomhaontú náisiúnta um chomhpháirtíocht shóisialta Go dtí 2016, lena n-áirítear an stádas nua go leor AE-CIM. Mar sin féin, d'aontaigh an Rialtas agus na comhpháirtithe sóisialta go bhfuil sé tábhachtach spriocanna réadúla atá éasca a bhaint amach. Déanfaidh an Rannóg um Chuimsiú Sóisialta athbhreithniú ar an gcur chuige foriomlán maidir le tomhas a dhéanamh ar an mbochtaineacht éifeachtach, a dtacóidh a nGrúpa Chomhairligh Theicniúil leis, Grúpa a thugann comhairle don Rannóg ar fhorbairt a straitéise sonraí.