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ITV News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Stormont's anti-poverty plan criticised by charities and organisations
Dozens of prominent individuals and organisations from across civic society have signed a letter criticising Stormont's plan to target poverty. The signatories said they are 'dismayed and frustrated' at the Executive's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2025-35. The letter has been signed by organisations, charities, community groups, campaigners, unions, academics and religious representatives. The open letter, published on Monday, said the strategy does not meet the criteria of a 'reasonable strategy'. 'It fails to fulfil what oversight bodies, including the NI Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee, outline as the basic elements of any strategy,' it added. 'The NI Audit Office said that 'an integrated cross-departmental anti-poverty strategy (should) ensure that the focus is on a number of properly defined and more specific actions' and 'it should include an action plan containing clearly defined indicators and targets aimed at quantifying and reducing poverty'. 'The Public Accounts Committee said that there is a 'clear need for targets and outcomes that are quantitative, qualitative and time-bound to properly measure performance and demonstrate the impact of strategic actions'. 'It also considered that 'a strategy which does not have specific resources devoted to it is never going to be as effective as it could be'. 'We acknowledge that the (Communities) Minister (Gordon Lyons) has indicated that an action plan with targets and specific actions will follow at a later, unspecified date, but every expert, every oversight body, is clear that a strategy must include measurable and time-bound targets within or alongside the strategy.' They urged the minister to note research published by the Independent Expert Advisory Panel (2020), the Anti-Poverty Strategy Co-Design Group (2022), the Welfare Reform Mitigation Review (2021) and the Discretionary Support Review (2022). They said the research provides clear evidence of the interventions that work to tackle poverty. The letter added: 'We are committed to working with you in good faith to eradicate poverty in Northern Ireland, and therefore, we are asking the NI Executive to withdraw their support of the draft anti-poverty strategy, on the basis that it is more harmful to have a strategy that will not address poverty than no strategy at all. 'Our children, families and communities – your constituents – deserve better.' Launching the strategy earlier this month, Mr Lyons described it as being based on three pillars of minimising risks of falling into poverty, minimising the impact of poverty on people's lives and working to help people get out of poverty. Figures indicated that around 18% of people in Northern Ireland live in relative poverty, and 15% live in absolute poverty, with 25% of children in relative poverty and 21% of children in absolute poverty. The strategic commitments from across departments include continuing the Extended Schools Programme, working with partners to scope out an NI Debt Relief Scheme, a commitment to develop an Executive Disability Strategy and a Fuel Poverty Strategy.
ITV News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Stormont minister says Northern Ireland anti-poverty plan will make 'meaningful difference'
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has insisted a long-awaited Stormont plan - 17 years in the making - to tackle poverty will make a "meaningful difference". That's despite the strategy been criticised as 'underwhelming' and it lacking MLA Lyons launched an extended 14-week public consultation on the Executive's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2025-35 on described it as being based on three pillars of minimising risks of falling into poverty, minimising the impact of poverty on people's lives and working to help people get out of poverty. Figures indicated that around 18% of those in Northern Ireland live in relative poverty, and 15% live in absolute poverty, with 25% of children living in relative poverty and 21% of children living in absolute strategic commitments from across departments include continuing the Extended Schools Programme, working with partners to scope out an NI Debt Relief Scheme, a commitment to develop an Executive Disability Strategy and a Fuel Poverty in the Assembly, Mr Lyons described a 'legacy of delay' in taking forward an anti-poverty strategy.'When I took office, I made it clear that one of my priorities would be tackling poverty,' he told MLAs.'After a legacy of delay in taking this work forward, I wanted to work at pace to develop a strategy which could help make a meaningful difference to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage in our society.'I and my Executive colleagues have worked to develop a strategy which we will make progress against and can and will make a difference to people's lives.'This strategy is the culmination of considerable hard work, collaboration and co-design, and I want to thank all those stakeholders, in particular the members of the anti-poverty co-design group, who have worked with my department in providing their input.'We often hear about the silo approach in government, but I know that ministers and officials across the executive departments have worked together on the draft in a spirit of co-operation and collective ownership.'He added that targets will come later with an action plan following a consultation H Durkan from the official Opposition at Stormont described the document as 'underwhelming'.He contended it didn't just 'call into question the Executive's ability to tackle poverty', but also their appetite and ambition to do Lyons hit back, claiming Mr Durkan was 'wrong on every point that he made'.'It has been 17 years that we have been waiting for this document, and after 17 months in office, I have been able to bring this forward,' he said. Existing budget pressures within the Executive have caused others to question how the action plan will be prioritised during future budget allocations. Mr Lyons said the plan outlines a "realistic set of proposals" and hopes "Ministers will find budget if additional funding is needed."
Glasgow Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Long-awaited Stormont anti-poverty plan criticised as ‘underwhelming'
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launched an extended 14-week public consultation on the Executive's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2025-35 on Tuesday. He described it as being based on three pillars of minimising risks of falling into poverty, minimising the impact of poverty on people's lives and working to help people get out of poverty. Figures indicated that around 18% of those in Northern Ireland live in relative poverty, and 15% live in absolute poverty, with 25% of children living in relative poverty and 21% of children living in absolute poverty. The strategic commitments from across departments include continuing the Extended Schools Programme, working with partners to scope out an NI Debt Relief Scheme, a commitment to develop an Executive Disability Strategy and a Fuel Poverty Strategy. Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Lyons described a 'legacy of delay' in taking forward an anti-poverty strategy. 'When I took office, I made it clear that one of my priorities would be tackling poverty,' he told MLAs. 'After a legacy of delay in taking this work forward, I wanted to work at pace to develop a strategy which could help make a meaningful difference to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage in our society. 'I and my Executive colleagues have worked to develop a strategy which we will make progress against and can and will make a difference to people's lives. 'This strategy is the culmination of considerable hard work, collaboration and co-design, and I want to thank all those stakeholders, in particular the members of the anti-poverty co-design group, who have worked with my department in providing their input. 'We often hear about the silo approach in government, but I know that ministers and officials across the executive departments have worked together on the draft in a spirit of co-operation and collective ownership.' He added that targets will come later with an action plan. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan described the strategy as 'underwhelming' (Liam McBurney/PA) Mark H Durkan from the official Opposition at Stormont described the document as 'underwhelming'. He contended it didn't just 'call into question the Executive's ability to tackle poverty', but also their appetite and ambition to do so. Mr Lyons hit back, claiming Mr Durkan was 'wrong on every point that he made'. 'It has been 17 years that we have been waiting for this document, and after 17 months in office, I have been able to bring this forward,' he said. Save the Children NI head Peter Bryson also criticised the strategy. 'This document raises serious questions about the Executive's commitment to children, families and communities impacted by poverty,' he said. 'It has no clear priorities, budget, action plan, milestones, or accountability for its delivery. It recycles existing commitments, with no real clear link drawn to a deeply flawed description of the current drivers of poverty.' He said the Executive could have 'opted for a big, bold move like introducing a child payment to lift thousands of children out of poverty'. 'Or strengthened an existing policy like the Childcare Subsidy Scheme to help more families with the cost of childcare access work,' he said. 'Or it could simply have committed to bring together departments, local councils and trusts, organisations working to combat poverty, and children, families and communities experiencing poverty, to work together to address poverty. 'Again, we have to ask, how has a document with no measures to reach its ambition been signed off?'
North Wales Chronicle
17-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Long-awaited Stormont anti-poverty plan criticised as ‘underwhelming'
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launched an extended 14-week public consultation on the Executive's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2025-35 on Tuesday. He described it as being based on three pillars of minimising risks of falling into poverty, minimising the impact of poverty on people's lives and working to help people get out of poverty. Figures indicated that around 18% of those in Northern Ireland live in relative poverty, and 15% live in absolute poverty, with 25% of children living in relative poverty and 21% of children living in absolute poverty. The strategic commitments from across departments include continuing the Extended Schools Programme, working with partners to scope out an NI Debt Relief Scheme, a commitment to develop an Executive Disability Strategy and a Fuel Poverty Strategy. Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Lyons described a 'legacy of delay' in taking forward an anti-poverty strategy. 'When I took office, I made it clear that one of my priorities would be tackling poverty,' he told MLAs. 'After a legacy of delay in taking this work forward, I wanted to work at pace to develop a strategy which could help make a meaningful difference to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage in our society. 'I and my Executive colleagues have worked to develop a strategy which we will make progress against and can and will make a difference to people's lives. 'This strategy is the culmination of considerable hard work, collaboration and co-design, and I want to thank all those stakeholders, in particular the members of the anti-poverty co-design group, who have worked with my department in providing their input. 'We often hear about the silo approach in government, but I know that ministers and officials across the executive departments have worked together on the draft in a spirit of co-operation and collective ownership.' He added that targets will come later with an action plan. Mark H Durkan from the official Opposition at Stormont described the document as 'underwhelming'. He contended it didn't just 'call into question the Executive's ability to tackle poverty', but also their appetite and ambition to do so. Mr Lyons hit back, claiming Mr Durkan was 'wrong on every point that he made'. 'It has been 17 years that we have been waiting for this document, and after 17 months in office, I have been able to bring this forward,' he said. Save the Children NI head Peter Bryson also criticised the strategy. 'This document raises serious questions about the Executive's commitment to children, families and communities impacted by poverty,' he said. 'It has no clear priorities, budget, action plan, milestones, or accountability for its delivery. It recycles existing commitments, with no real clear link drawn to a deeply flawed description of the current drivers of poverty.' He said the Executive could have 'opted for a big, bold move like introducing a child payment to lift thousands of children out of poverty'. 'Or strengthened an existing policy like the Childcare Subsidy Scheme to help more families with the cost of childcare access work,' he said. 'Or it could simply have committed to bring together departments, local councils and trusts, organisations working to combat poverty, and children, families and communities experiencing poverty, to work together to address poverty. 'Again, we have to ask, how has a document with no measures to reach its ambition been signed off?'
South Wales Guardian
17-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Long-awaited Stormont anti-poverty plan criticised as ‘underwhelming'
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launched an extended 14-week public consultation on the Executive's Anti-Poverty Strategy 2025-35 on Tuesday. He described it as being based on three pillars of minimising risks of falling into poverty, minimising the impact of poverty on people's lives and working to help people get out of poverty. Figures indicated that around 18% of those in Northern Ireland live in relative poverty, and 15% live in absolute poverty, with 25% of children living in relative poverty and 21% of children living in absolute poverty. The strategic commitments from across departments include continuing the Extended Schools Programme, working with partners to scope out an NI Debt Relief Scheme, a commitment to develop an Executive Disability Strategy and a Fuel Poverty Strategy. Speaking in the Assembly, Mr Lyons described a 'legacy of delay' in taking forward an anti-poverty strategy. 'When I took office, I made it clear that one of my priorities would be tackling poverty,' he told MLAs. 'After a legacy of delay in taking this work forward, I wanted to work at pace to develop a strategy which could help make a meaningful difference to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage in our society. 'I and my Executive colleagues have worked to develop a strategy which we will make progress against and can and will make a difference to people's lives. 'This strategy is the culmination of considerable hard work, collaboration and co-design, and I want to thank all those stakeholders, in particular the members of the anti-poverty co-design group, who have worked with my department in providing their input. 'We often hear about the silo approach in government, but I know that ministers and officials across the executive departments have worked together on the draft in a spirit of co-operation and collective ownership.' He added that targets will come later with an action plan. Mark H Durkan from the official Opposition at Stormont described the document as 'underwhelming'. He contended it didn't just 'call into question the Executive's ability to tackle poverty', but also their appetite and ambition to do so. Mr Lyons hit back, claiming Mr Durkan was 'wrong on every point that he made'. 'It has been 17 years that we have been waiting for this document, and after 17 months in office, I have been able to bring this forward,' he said. Save the Children NI head Peter Bryson also criticised the strategy. 'This document raises serious questions about the Executive's commitment to children, families and communities impacted by poverty,' he said. 'It has no clear priorities, budget, action plan, milestones, or accountability for its delivery. It recycles existing commitments, with no real clear link drawn to a deeply flawed description of the current drivers of poverty.' He said the Executive could have 'opted for a big, bold move like introducing a child payment to lift thousands of children out of poverty'. 'Or strengthened an existing policy like the Childcare Subsidy Scheme to help more families with the cost of childcare access work,' he said. 'Or it could simply have committed to bring together departments, local councils and trusts, organisations working to combat poverty, and children, families and communities experiencing poverty, to work together to address poverty. 'Again, we have to ask, how has a document with no measures to reach its ambition been signed off?'
