Child poverty in Northern Ireland remains a deep-seated and troubling issue, as highlighted in a new report which points to widespread hardship for families, including those in Fermanagh.

With nearly a quarter of children living in relative poverty and significant numbers unable to afford basic necessities, the report exposes an urgent need for reform in both policy and funding.

The Impartial Reporter has seen a copy of the report, which provides stark insights into the limitations of the Executive's Child Poverty Strategy.

The document reveals the strategy’s failure to reduce poverty, noting that almost 24 per cent of children remain in relative poverty, with around 9 per cent living in households struggling to meet essential needs.

Such levels of deprivation carry profound impacts, with children in poverty likely to suffer both immediate and lifelong consequences, including poorer health and educational outcomes.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) commissioned the report, urging the Department for Communities (DfC) to take decisive steps to improve child welfare across Northern Ireland.

The findings point to systemic issues in the former Child Poverty Strategy (2016-2020), which, despite its stated goals, did not lead to a tangible reduction in poverty.

Instead, the rate of relative child poverty actually rose over the strategy’s duration. The lack of progress is attributed to several factors: the strategy’s lack of targeted interventions, limited monitoring, and insufficient collaboration among departments, as well as a complete absence of ring-fenced funding, which severely hampered its implementation.

Witnesses testifying before the PAC described how poverty negatively impacts every aspect of children’s lives.

They noted that children in low-income families experience high rates of mental health issues and reduced life expectancy. Children from deprived backgrounds are four times more likely to face mental health challenges by age 11, and they fall behind their peers in educational attainment.

By the end of primary school, these children may be up to a year behind in cognitive skills, and they continue to lag, leaving secondary school with fewer qualifications. Such educational disparities can hinder their future employment prospects, perpetuating a cycle of poverty that spans generations.

The report highlights the substantial cost of child poverty to the public purse, estimated between £825 million and £1 billion annually. Half of this expense is incurred directly through public services, which must address the consequences of poverty, such as additional healthcare and social services support.

The other half stems from the long-term economic impact, as children from impoverished backgrounds are more likely to become low-income adults, placing further strain on welfare systems.

Despite its ambitious aims, the Child Poverty Strategy lacked clearly defined goals, such as specific poverty reduction targets, and was criticised for being overly broad. Departmental officials pointed out that they were unable to implement meaningful interventions due to the absence of dedicated resources.

Instead, the strategy relied on existing schemes, limiting its scope for innovation. Officials also highlighted the adverse impact of Brexit, Covid-19, and political instability on the strategy’s progress, although the PAC notes that these factors should not excuse the lack of focused poverty-reduction measures.

The absence of targets was another major flaw identified in the report. Without quantifiable goals, departments lacked direction and failed to monitor the strategy’s effectiveness.

The PAC argues that clearly defined, time-bound targets are essential for ensuring accountability and transparency.

In response to these criticisms, the Department for Communities suggested that income-based targets could lead to interventions only helping families just above the poverty line, neglecting those most in need.

However, child advocacy groups and community sector representatives argued that specific targets are vital for measuring progress and ensuring that children from the lowest-income households receive adequate support.

Another significant oversight was the strategy’s failure to focus on early intervention and preventative measures.

Witnesses pointed out that the most effective way to reduce child poverty is by addressing it early in a child’s life.

Early intervention reduces the need for costly later-life services, including health and justice expenditures, and can substantially improve outcomes for children.

Despite the proven benefits of such initiatives, the report indicates that most actions within the Child Poverty Strategy were reactive, focusing on mitigating the effects of poverty rather than preventing it.

A key issue also emerged around accountability and governance. The strategy suffered from a lack of coherent leadership, with departments working independently rather than collaboratively.

The report reveals that no department assumed ultimate responsibility for delivering the strategy, resulting in fragmented governance. The PAC recommends that future anti-poverty strategies designate a lead department to coordinate efforts across government.

Additionally, the PAC calls for the establishment of independent monitoring to ensure strategies are effectively implemented.

The committee also expressed disappointment over the strategy’s monitoring process. The Department for Communities produced annual reports that were lengthy and descriptive but failed to assess the impact of initiatives on poverty levels.

The PAC suggests these reports became bureaucratic exercises rather than meaningful evaluations of success.

External witnesses recommended involving individuals with lived experience of poverty in monitoring efforts to ensure strategies address real needs. The report stresses that future monitoring frameworks must measure outcomes rather than simply tracking actions.

The community and voluntary sectors are crucial in supporting families in poverty, yet the strategy's relationship with these sectors was poorly managed. The report notes strained relations with organisations that felt sidelined, despite their on-the-ground experience and connections with vulnerable communities.

The PAC recommends stronger engagement with the voluntary sector, with sustained funding to allow these organisations to continue their essential work without facing constant financial uncertainty.

Perhaps most concerning is the report’s portrayal of inaction since the Child Poverty Strategy concluded in May 2022.

Although work on a new anti-poverty strategy began in 2020, there is little evidence of progress. The PAC was particularly disheartened to learn that key cross-departmental working groups had not convened in over a year.

This apparent lack of urgency raises serious questions about the Department for Communities' commitment to tackling poverty, especially as child poverty rates continue to rise.

To address these issues, the PAC issued several recommendations.

It urges the Department to create a new anti-poverty strategy by the end of this financial year, including a detailed action plan with allocated resources and time-bound goals.

Additionally, the committee recommends that future strategies include robust, independent monitoring to hold departments accountable for progress. The report further calls for the Department to learn from best practices in other jurisdictions and consult with the voluntary sector to strengthen support for families living in poverty.

According to the report, the Department for Communities now faces mounting pressure to act decisively, ensuring that future strategies do more than just “turn the curve” but actually drive down poverty levels and deliver meaningful support to those in greatest need, including here in Fermanagh.