Beginnings | Programmes | Anti-Poverty Policy | The Combat Poverty Agency today

For over 20 years Combat Poverty has played a key role in increasing awareness and understanding of poverty and in influencing and informing government policies to tackle poverty.

In 1986, the rate of unemployment in Ireland was 17% (232,000 people), emigration had reached 28,000 people per year and almost 16% of people were living in consistent poverty. Combat Poverty's priorities in the early days reflected the major social and economic challenges of the time: unemployment, emigration and the poor state of the country’s finances.

Programmes

From the outset, Combat Poverty positioned itself as a catalyst for change – piloting, supporting and evaluating initiatives that would subsequently be adopted mainstream social policy.

One early programme supporting a community development approach to tackling poverty demonstrated the success of this approach and made a key contribution to the establishment of the community development infrastructure in Ireland, which continues today. This programme supported individuals and groups experiencing poverty to work collaboratively to bring about positive change in their lives and the lives of their communities. Combat Poverty fundamentally believes that policies to tackle poverty are more likely to work if the people and communities they are designed for are involved in their planning and implementation.

Another major programme, the local government programme, was established in 1999 to put anti-poverty and social inclusion work at the heart of local government. The programme has created a strong foundation for integrated local anti-poverty initiatives, which have been the basis for the implementation of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy at local level.

Combat Poverty draws on lessons and evaluations of programmes such as this to inform its evidence base, which is also informed by its research work.

Back to Top

Anti-Poverty Policy

Over the years, pioneering research into issues such as child poverty, health, education, the spatial distribution of poverty, indebtedness and welfare reform has positioned Combat Poverty as a thought leader on poverty and has enabled it to contribute to a wide range of policy reforms. Its early focus on improving data collection and research on poverty established a strong evidence base for future anti-poverty initiatives, including the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.

The National Anti-Poverty Strategy

Since its formation, Combat Poverty has recognised that the causes of poverty are structural and that there is a role for most government departments, not just the Department of Social and Family Affairs, in tackling poverty.

In the mid 1990s, the Agency played an integral role in the development of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, one of the most significant developments to take place over the past 20 years. Since then, it has been involved in monitoring and revising the strategy, and advising the government on measures to improve the implementation of it and other national policies, including the roll-out of the strategy at local level and the introduction of poverty proofing.

European Focus

Engagement at a European level has enabled Combat Poverty to share learning with other European states and attract European funding. Since 1995, it has worked jointly with Pobal to implement the EU funded Peace and Interreg Programmes in the border region of Ireland. This work has involved supporting peace and reconciliation through social inclusion, economic and local development, and partnership approaches.

Under the EU Social Exclusion Programme, Combat Poverty has received funding to lead the Mainstreaming Social Inclusion project. This work involves working with partners across the EU to develop a blueprint for integrating social inclusion into mainstream policy areas, and for evaluating approaches to mainstreaming.

Back to Top

Combat Poverty Today

Over time, the focus of Combat Poverty’s work has shifted in response to the rapidly changing social and economic landscape. Today unemployment has fallen to 4.4% while some 80,000 migrants come to Ireland every year. Unemployment is no longer the main cause of poverty; instead, poverty tends to be concentrated among those groups who are distanced from employment, including lone parents, older people, carers, and people with illnesses and disabilities.

Despite significant decreases in poverty brought about by economic growth, these groups remain at risk of poverty and some new groups are emerging. Combat Poverty continues to work to ensure that the elimination of poverty remains a national priority, and that policies are directed towards those who are most vulnerable in Irish society.

This presents new policy challenges and demands innovative new approaches. Access to public services, the geographic factors that contribute to poverty and the challenges presented by a multicultural society are among the issues that will be the focus of Combat Poverty's work in the coming years.

Back to Top

Combat Poverty Conyngham Road Islandbridge Dublin 8	Tel: 353 1 670 6746 Fax: 353 1 670 6760	mail: info@combatpoverty.ie web: www.combatpoverty.ie
Site Design by: Open Interface	© Combat Poverty Agency