department of social and family affairs annual report 2006 - Welfare.ie

goal 5: poverty, social inclusion and families
To support and promote families and to attain better outcomes in tackling poverty
and achieving a more inclusive society through co-operating, developing and
implementing national anti-poverty strategies, and through the provision of
income and other support services for people in debt or at risk of experiencing
hardship
goal 5: poverty, social inclusion and families
> OBJECTIVE 1
Monitor, evaluate and report on the
implementation of the National Action Plan
against Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP) which
incorporates the objectives and targets of the
revised NAPS and the partnership agreement
‘Sustaining Progress’.
> National Anti Poverty Strategy
(NAPS)
The Office for Social Inclusion (OSI), located in
the Department, is the government office with
overall responsibility for developing, driving and
co-ordinating the National Action Plan against
Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP/inclusion)
2003-2005 in addition to the social inclusion
elements of other national strategies, and for
the production of Ireland’s next NAPinclusion,
launched in early 2007.
Considerable progress was made during 2006
on the development of the new plan which
covers the period 2007-2016 and complements
the new National Development Plan (2007-
2013) TRANSFORMING IRELAND A Better Quality
of Life for All. These strategies will build on the
lifecycle approach outlined in the new national
partnership agreement, Towards 2016, by
assessing the risks which individuals face at each
stage of the lifecycle and the supports they need
to meet these risks. The groups focussed on using
this approach are Children, People of Working Age,
Older People and People with Disabilities. This
strategic framework is also being designed to
create more coherent and integrated structures
to achieve more effective implementation. It
will also facilitate a better and a more effective
reporting and monitoring process across the
spectrum of government activity in the area of
social inclusion.
> National Report for Ireland on
Strategies for Social Protection
and Social Inclusion 2006 - 2008
Another key priority for the OSI during 2006
was the production of Ireland’s National Report
on Strategies for Social Protection and Social
Inclusion, which was submitted to the European
Commission in September 2006. The report
outlines Ireland’s key objectives and targets
over the period 2006-2008 in relation to social
inclusion, pensions and health and long term care.
The social inclusion component of this report
presents the key priorities in Ireland’s efforts
to promote greater social inclusion and make a
decisive impact on poverty.
Copies of the report are available on the Office
for Social Inclusion (OSI ) website – www.
socialinclusion.ie in the publications section,
or directly from the Office for Social Inclusion,
Department of Social and Family Affairs, Áras
Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1
Tel: +353-1-7043851.
> NAPS Social Inclusion Forum
The third meeting of the annual NAPS Social
Inclusion Forum was held on 15 February 2006 in
the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and was attended
by approximately 300 participants from the
voluntary and community sector, the statutory
sector, local representatives, and members of
the NESF. The Office for Social Inclusion and the
National Economic and Social Forum co-funded
and co-organised this event.
The annual Forum provides people who are
affected by poverty and social exclusion and
their representatives with an opportunity to
See Appendix 9 for list of the Department’s and
agencies' websites.
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