Peter Bryson, Head of Save the Children NI said: “There must only be one logical outcome from this consultation and that is a total rewrite of Stormont’s poverty plan. Over 90 organisations who work with the most disadvantaged and marginalised children across Northern Ireland have rejected the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy. Surely these calls, informed by real lives and rising hardships, can’t simply be ignored?
“Over the summer we have listened to people with lived experience of poverty respond in hurt and despair to the contents of the draft strategy, with some describing it as cold, heartless and not fit for purpose. Now here we are on the eve of this consultation closure and we’re not sure if their voices are being listened to. We reiterate our message one final time for Stormont’s Executive: this is not a strategy. It won’t work because it doesn’t attempt to address the systemic social problems casting shadows of poverty over an increasing number of children and families. It fails to set any targets, as was the requirement set out by Northern Ireland’s own Audit Office. We know through recent polling we commissioned that an overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland care about poverty as a core issue and want to see the Executive prioritise it. Yet this draft strategy further reinforces stigma for those who live with its realities.
“There was an opportunity here to harness the wealth of experience, expertise, evidence and energy to end poverty that exists in Northern Ireland. Devastatingly that’s been missed. But even now we call on the Executive to show leadership and courage. Nothing short of a total rewrite will help to protect childhoods and make Northern Ireland a fairer, better place for everyone.”