Time for Children’s Budget

Children’s Rights Alliance Event 4th Sept 2024

Remarks by Denise Charlton, Chief Executive, Community Foundation Ireland

It is an uncomfortable reality that there are families not far from where we are gathered facing tough decisions now about how much food they can afford to put on the table when children arrive home from school this evening.

The cost of groceries is one of the major challenges facing families struggling to make ends meet.

With a healthy basket of food costed at up to €162 a week for a two-parent family with two children – it is easy to see how even a two-income home with young parents at the start of their careers is left struggling to meet their needs.

This is a challenge which we must deal with.

At Community Foundation Ireland we believe that ending food poverty is essential in achieving our mission of Equality For All in Thriving Communities.

As a philanthropic hub we do this in many ways. We partner with those on the ground in communities responding to immediate need – literally putting food on the table.

The Community Foundation sees philanthropy as a key enabler of strategic and impactful work which informs policy and advances solutions

We partner with the best researchers in the country the ESRI to produce annual research on Poverty, Income Inequality and Living Standards. Together with the Children’s Rights Alliance we make possible the pioneering Child Poverty Monitor plus this End Child Poverty Week.

Taken together all have delivered results. Most importantly they give us the evidence to identify the next steps to end food-poverty for good.

Progress

Minister O’Brien your presence here today is an important acknowledgement that at a policy making level our shared message is landing.

Your own interest in this area culminated with the publication of the Government’s Food Poverty Action Plan. Your collaborative approach in forming that plan through an active working group is also to be welcomed.

It has directly led to the positive response of Government to expand the hot school meal programme to all DEIS Primary Schools and special schools – and to begin the roll out on a phased basis to non-DEIS primary schools starting this year.

The goal set of a universal provision by 2030 while commendable should be more ambitious given the urgent need which we have identified. I know I speak for many of the Community Foundation’s partners when I encourage you and your colleagues to go faster.

The Challenge

The size of the challenge we face as a society – and individual families face every day when deciding between food, clothing or heat – is well documented.

One in five children are living in deprivation. That is a fact.

It is a fact established by the Poverty, Income Inequality and Living Standards Research already mentioned in which the Community Foundation partners with the ESRI.

Tomorrow the latest round of research is being published. Suffice to say it will note that there has been no improvement for these families in the greatest need.

The supports they need both in terms of core and targeted welfare supports are falling short. Such supports are not keeping pace with inflation in a cost-of-living crisis.

As a Foundation we have been working with the Childrens Rights Alliance and its members who are very much in the frontline.

The Gaps

 Together we are always ready to recognise and acknowledge progress.

It is true that the cost-of-living measures announced by the Government and indeed some of which have been flagged already as being part of Budget 2025 have had some positive impact. The universal measures shared by all did provide assistance.

However, it is also true that there is an inequality gap and it is widening.

The Child Poverty Monitor, the on-going research across many areas and most importantly the real-time everyday experience of our on the ground community partners tell us – those in the greatest need are struggling even more.

Quarter of a million children and their families are living in deprivation. That means meals are being skipped, healthy staples are being forced out of diets and there is an over-reliance on cheaper processed foods setting children up for further challenges later in life.

At a very practical level the Alliance has identified a real gap.

Even when a universal school’s programme for hot meals is achieved – what happens during the holidays?

Community Foundation Ireland supports the Children’s Rights Alliance call for a €1M provision in Budget 2025 for a pilot initiative to end holiday hunger.

The Foundation also supports the call for an expansion of funding for the overall school meals programme – and greater ambition to make it universal faster

Minister, it will come as no surprise to you that as a philanthropic hub we see a role for philanthropy in addressing many of the concerns raised.

In the context of the first National Policy on Philanthropy – which will in a few short weeks mark its first anniversary – we see the potential for private and public funding coming together to truly move us towards a solution.

In addition to our research, we are proud of other strategic partners who bring comfort and support to those homes with the greatest need.

Our partnership with Crosscare over the last 5-years allows for wrap-around supports tailored to individual families and delivered through dedicated caseworkers. It came into is own during Covid. The lessons learned in a pandemic continue to deliver for families today in a cost-of-living crisis.

It is an initiative which has been highlighted by the Child Poverty Unit within the Department of the Taoiseach.

We always back those organisations with vision delivering wider impact. Ending food waste is not only a priority for climate action – it also offers opportunity to provide badly needed family meals.

Community Foundation Ireland is a long-standing partner of Food-Cloud. A model developed here now being utilised as far away as Jakarta.

Since 2013 an incredible 300 Million meals have been delivered by using food about to hit its best before date. Not only is essential need being met but 126 thousand tonnes of food waste has been avoided.

Christmas should be a time for family and joy but for tens of thousands of parents it creates dread and fear. For thousands of parents it is a time of fear and dread. The pressure is immense.

From the support generated by viewers during the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal more than €300,000 will be used this year to deliver food hampers to homes over the Festive break.

I could list others who are in the frontline every day – the Feed Cork Project, Penny Diners, the Capuchin Centre and so many more where the Foundation and its donors are active partners.

Partnership

The solution to the biggest problems always lies in partnership. It is all after all the 17^th and most important of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Foundation, our community partners, our advocates and our researchers deliver greater impact when partnered with Government.

Minister in Budget 2025 we would ask you to look at how we can all come together in very tangible ways to build on the progress which has been made. I think you know that whenever you want to have those conversations you will find our doors open.

It is always informative, reflective and energising to meet our partners. On behalf of the Foundation I want to acknowledge and thank all of you for the work you do.

I also want to thank our kind hosts – the Fidelis Foundation. A true partner of End Child Poverty Week.

Can I congratulate Tanya and all the team at the Children’s Rights Alliance and wish you every success in achieving our shared goals in Budget 2025.

Thank You.