Budget 2019 Can be The Most Sustainable Budget Yet - by Prioritising Children

Ahead of today's Pre-Budget Forum hosted by the Department of Social Protection, Barnardos is calling on the Government to address the fact that 1 in 7 children in Ireland are LOST to poverty, homelessness and neglect. The charity is urging the Government to use Budget 2019 to make a number of sustainable investments which would support all children to reach their full potential and ensure everyone benefits from economic gains.

June Tinsley, Barnardos Head of Advocacy, said: "Ten years on from the financial crash Minister Donohoe recently noted the economy is in 'good shape'. Yet the reality is that for many children their lives are not in 'good shape'. During the recovery, child poverty has risen exponentially with the number of children living in consistent poverty more than doubling; thousands of children are living in emergency accommodation and thousands more are experiencing hidden homelessness; children are waiting months and even years to receive vital healthcare; families and parents are left unsupported, and children are neglected. Now is the time for the Government to right the wrongs these children have experienced and to make the most sustainable investment of all - investing in children.

"Budget 2019 can support all children to reach their potential by:

• Allocating funding of €20 million annually to increase family support services by providing an additional 540 family support workers to work with approximately 12,500 families per year. This would support a home-based service which evaluates what a child and family's needs are and a carefully tailored personal package of services to respond to those needs. These may include, but are not limited to, parenting programmes, therapeutic supports and practical advice and help.

• Expanding the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme to start at a child's second birthday at a cost of €150 million while committing to further expansion by 2021 of the ECCE Scheme to begin at a child's first birthday.

• Implementing the Slaintecare Report recommendations for increased investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and the provision of universal primary care, giving children access to multidisciplinary primary care services in the community comprising: GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, speech and language, social workers and occupational therapists. This would equate to a total cost of €60.46 million per year.

• Committing to invest €103.2 million over three Budgets to provide genuinely free primary education. This could begin with €20 million to give free school books to all primary school pupils.

• Helping reduce the numbers of households forced into homelessness by fast-tracking a prevention system in Local Authorities nationwide, to ensure that people experiencing 'hidden homelessness' can access supports such as enhanced Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) payments that are in line with market rates, without first having to become officially homeless.

Ms Tinsley added: "Now is a crucial moment for the Government to demonstrate its commitment to children and childhood. Through a number of key investments the Government can support families and parents to be the best they can be and ensure all children have access to timely healthcare, housing and education. If we don't invest now and support children to thrive, we're setting them up to fail and costing the exchequer more in the long run. It is time that we truly prioritise children and ensure that no childhood is lost."

Notes to editor:

Read Barnardos' pre-budget submission