The new National Development Plan

1. The new National Development Plan Brian Harvey EAPN, Dublin 8th February 2007

2. Transforming Ireland – a better quality of life for all National Development Plan 2007-2013 • 4th National Development Plan • First two were structural fund plans • 2000-6 was part structural funds, main part was not • This plan has NO structural funds, although it follows EU financial timeframe 2007-2013 • They are in National Strategic Reference Framework and OPs for ESF, two regions, INTERREG, Peace III

3. NDP consultation • 77 contributions • Many statutory bodies • Social policy bodies well represented incl EAPN • Short analysis of contributions (p33) • Social inclusion emerged as a priority and theme • But a limited model of consultation compared to rest of Europe

4. Social inclusion • Was originally to be separated from the plan (August 2005) • It is here as a ‘high level goal’, chapter in its own right (11), features in all-island chapter, specific spending area with €49.6bn of €183.7bn • Plan recognizes ‘concentrations of deprivation and lack of opportunities in certain areas, both urban and rural’ (SWOT, p31)

5. Social inclusion priority (ch 11) • Children €12.3bn • Working age education €4.3bn • Working age – social & economic €1.2bn • Working age – justice €300m • Older people €9.7bn • People with disabilities €19.2bn • Local & community development €1.9bn • Horizontal programme €800m

6. The social inclusion spend (€49.6bn) • Three large spending areas: Disability 40% Children 35% Older people 20% • They account for 85% • Remaining headings are quite small • Most are within framework of Toward 2016

7. Social inclusion analyzed • Two introductory sections The challenge of social inclusion, The strategic framework for tackling social exclusion • The persistence of poverty despite economic success, avoiding questions of how success is structured, distributed • Delivery within the framework for tackling social exclusion: recites initiatives in place

8. The spend analyzed (1) • Children: child welfare, special needs, youth programmes, Youthreach, youth justice, childcare, Traveller education • Working age education: BTEI, VTOS, PLC, third level access • Working age participation: activation, BTW, BTE allowance • Working age justice: sentence management, reintegration offenders

9. The spend analyzed (2) • Older people: living at home, residential care, home help, meals on wheels • Disabilities: health services (mainly), education & built environment • Local & community development: CDP €861m Volunteering €197m RAPID €67m Drugs €319m LDSIP €417m

10. The spend analyzed (3) • Horizontal programme Immigrant integration €36m Language support €637m Racism, Travellers €27m Equality & women €148m • Not all of ch11 necessarily socially inclusive • Some targeted parts financially small • Some other parts are inclusive as well • New: volunteering, community policing

11. Social inclusion elsewhere • Public transport in 7 Economic infrastructure • Rural social and economic development (CLAR, LEADER, rural social programme) • 9 Human capital priority includes: lifelong learning, second chance education, ESL, activation of groups outside workforce (e.g. unemployed, lone parents, Travellers, offenders, women, older workers, migrants) • 10 Social infrastructure includes social housing • Specifically iterated in 5 All island cooperation

12. Monitoring arrangements (1) • Note not required, but previous NDP concepts used • Central monitoring committee • Includes four social partner pillars • Equal opportunities and environmental interests to be represented by government • No social inclusion representatives

13. Monitoring arrangements (2) • Section Monitoring and reporting on social inclusion (p280) • Annual report by Office for Social Inclusion (OSI) • Will consult with ‘all stakeholders, including departmental liaison officers and policy owners, with inputs from the partnership steering committee, the senior officials group on social inclusion and other for a as appropriate’

14. The plan analyzed • Follows structures, concepts, model, legacy of earlier plans • Social inclusion proportion, 27%, broadly in line with previous plans • Social inclusion parts include elements that belong elsewhere e.g. older people • Human capital, Social infrastructure, includes socially inclusive elements • Little new money • No significant departures from Toward 2016 • Community development areas unaffected

15. Critical comments (1) • Not poverty proofed: Energy, but not fuel poverty Waste, but not low income families Communications, but not digital divide Enterprise, but not low-income groups, social economy Sport, but not deprived communities • Some commitments extremely vague esp. health services • How much housing for Travellers, homeless, disability? • Transport investment still favours private:public • More prisons questionable as ‘social infrastructure’

16. Critical comments (2) • Inequality seen as spatial, regional, not social • Pointed commitment to tackle consistent poverty (not relative poverty) • Little utilization of poverty data • No learning obviously transferred from 2000-6 • No indicators, despite work of agency • Little engagement with civil society

17. Challenges • Providing a critical commentary • Challenging the model of development • Ensuring adherence to the social inclusion commitments • Strengthening them where they are weak • Develop opportunities: island cooperation, volunteering, community policing • Monitoring committee & issues • Annual social inclusion report

18. And then there are the structural funds… • NSRF draft out • OPs for two regional programmes, ESF • Peace III, INTERREG IV and making them follow the imperative of social inclusion. Thank you.