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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Please refer to Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
In Ireland, the Social Welfare Acts are reviewed each year. Other legislation concerned with social housing, health, education, and community employment has a legal framework for anti-poverty action. The Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) was established by statute in 1986 under the Combat Poverty Act. It is under the aegis of the Department of Social Welfare. It has the following four main functions: (i) to advise and make recommendations to the Minister for Social Welfare on all aspects of economic and social planning in relation to poverty in the State; (ii) the initiation and evaluation of measures aimed at overcoming poverty in the State; (iii) the examination of the nature, causes, and extent of poverty in the State along with the promotion, commission, and interpretation of research; and (iv) the promotion of greater public understanding of the nature, causes, and extent of poverty in the State and the measures necessary to overcome it.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Please refer to Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and ProjectsThe Agency is involved in a range of programmes and activities to combat poverty. Exchequer support for the three Irish projects in the third European Union (EU) Poverty Programme were, for example, channelled through the CPA. The Agency also funds a number of representative National voluntary anti-poverty networks including the Community Workers Co-operative, the European Anti-Poverty Network, the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, Irish Rural Link, and the Irish Traveller Movement.
Ireland is currently preparing a National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS). The NAPS was initiated by the Government after the 1995 United Nations Social Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. The strategy involves setting out the extent of poverty, an identification of main themes, and formulating strategic responses to combat poverty in Ireland. In 1997, a report addressing the achievements to date in developing the strategy will be forwarded to the United Nations.
The NAPS has, to date, involved the following: (i) the preparation of a statement setting out the nature and extent of poverty and social exclusion in Ireland; (ii) the evaluation of submissions from the voluntary and community sector, the social partners, and other interested bodies and individuals; (iii) the selection of key issues/policy areas which must be addressed if poverty and social exclusion are to be tackled, that is educational disadvantage, unemployment, income adequacy, regenerating disadvantaged communities with concentrations of poverty, and tackling poverty in rural areas; (iv) the convening of regional seminars to discuss the submissions received; (v) the establishment of five key theme sub-groups to study unemployment, income adequacy, rural poverty, educational disadvantage, and disadvantaged areas with concentrations of poverty.
The sub-groups were established to identify policy areas which cut across departments and strategic responses to be developed. These groups included representatives of Government departments, trade union and employers bodies, and National anti-poverty networks (which are state-funded voluntary groups). As part of this process a public consultation seminar has been held by each of the sub-groups. All the working groups have now or are in the process of reporting to the NAPS Inter-departmental Committee. Each Government department has been asked to prepare a statement in relation to poverty, after reviewing the key issues/themes already identified by the strategy within their own areas of responsibility. A commitment to the continued development of NAPS has been included in the new three-year National agreement between the Government and the social partners (employers, employees, and farming organizations) entitled "Partnership 2000".
The next steps in the process will involve the following:
These studies provide a wide variety of very useful information on poverty levels in Ireland from 1994 data and will be a key input to the NAPS process. The second report reviews the findings of the Commission on Social Welfare which reported in 1986 on what constituted a minimally adequate income for those receiving social welfare payments. It is intended that a report to the UN setting out progress achieved to date will be finalized very soon. Proposals for the next phase of development of the strategy will also go to Government very soon.
The Local Development Programme, in partnership with local companies, facilitates alleviation of poverty in disadvantaged areas. This involves cooperation with trade unions, employers, farmers, etc. In 1993, voluntary support helped the Government establish the National Economic and Social Forum. The Forum provides an opportunity through a structured mechanism to contribute to the development of initiatives to tackle unemployment at both National and local levels. It consists of a wide base of 49 representatives, including those representing the disadvantaged and the unemployed. The National Women's Council, which is funded by the Department of Equality and Law Reform, is a representative forum of women's organizations in Ireland. The output of the Council is being considered by decision-making bodies concerned with empowering disadvantaged groups, including women.
The Department of Social Welfare supports local self help and community development initiatives to assist people as individuals and as members of communities develop the confidence and capacity to participate as partners alongside statutory agencies and others in local development initiatives. This support is available through a range of grant schemes:
Status
No information is available.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
Funding for community development groups, women's groups, and other groups representing disadvantaged communities is supported by the Department of Social Welfare. The CPA also supports community development and directly funds a National network of organizations representing the sector.
The Department of Social Welfare is represented on the High Level Group on Social Exclusion which was established by the European Commission in 1995. The group was established to exchange information on developments affecting social exclusion and to assist the Commission in the preparation of its strategies and initiatives.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Ireland to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Departments of Health and Finance are responsible for demographic sustainability in Ireland. The country is currently working on a National Strategy for Sustainable Demographic Development. The Strategy will address issues linking the environment and demographics in an Irish context. Issues include the depopulation of rural areas combined with the increasing population in urban areas, and as a consequence, the economic pressure of migration and emigration.
In the policies related to family planning, NGOs provide complementary services to those offered by the Health Authorities. The Irish Family Planning Association and the Dublin Well Woman Center are important participants in this process. In June 1995, a discussion document on special health needs for women was published and will be the basis of a widespread consultation with women and those interested in improving the health and welfare of women. This consultation will in time become the foundation of a National Plan made by the Department of Health to be adopted by the Government. The Government is funding the NGOs that are involved in providing the complementary services.
The Government provides universal services for family planning. As a member of the European Union (EU), Ireland has adopted the principles of the Resolution of 1992 put forward by the Development Council for aid-programme utilization. The basic guidelines of the resolution are: non-coercion and non-discrimination; observance of the rights of individuals and couples to choose the number and the spacing of their children; integration of population and development policies; and wider attention paid to the needs of individuals, families, and the community.
In 1993, Ireland made its first contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Government has subsequently announced that an increase in the contribution is to be expected. Ireland's policies in this area of demographics are consistent with EU principles.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
Status
No information is available.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Ireland to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1997.
Click here for the ECE Statistical country profile for Ireland.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
StatusIreland has improved the general level of health during the last decades. However, much remains to be done. Life expectancy is still lower than the European Union (EU) average and, in 1992, over one-fifth of all deaths in Ireland were under the age of 65. In 1994, a National Health Strategy was designed. Its objective is to improve the average life expectancy, which includes an effort to minimize the main causes of premature deaths, namely: cardiovascular disease, cancer, and accidents. Together with the Health Strategy, a Four-Year Action Plan has been established. The Plan details risk reduction targets and action programs. These focus on key issues which contribute significantly to premature deaths. Monitoring of the progress in relation to the targets will be important to the Strategy in general and will also serve as background material for a database to be developed. In 1995, the Government of Ireland indicated its intention to increase the financial and technical assistance to health care.
In the policies related to family planning, NGOs provide complementary services to those offered by the Health Authorities. The Irish Family Planning Association and the Dublin Well Woman Center are important participants in this process. In June 1995, a discussion document on special health needs for women was published and will be the basis of a widespread consultation with women and those interested in improving the health and welfare of women. This consultation will in time become the foundation of a National Plan made by the Department of Health to be adopted by the Government.
In Ireland, particular attention has been paid to the potential health effects of air and water-borne pollutants. Traditionally, environmental protection strategies tended to concentrate on reducing potential health risks associated with these media. The introduction of sanitation practices, for instance, which led to the elimination of many water-borne diseases, was one of the largest contributors to improved public health in this century. More recently, the marketing of coal which caused localised smog in Dublin city was banned, which is expected to lead to a reduction in the number of respiratory complaints.
In 1993, it was proposed to examine, under the Bilateral Aid Programme, what specific projects in AIDS-related areas might be undertaken in cooperation with the recipient country.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Ireland to the fifth and sixth sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1998.
To access the Health for All On-Line Database (WHO): Europe and CIS countries, click here:
Click here to go to the Health and health-related statistical information from the World Health Organization.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
In Ireland, the Departments of Education and Environment are primarily responsible for promoting education activities, including encouraging partnerships, mobilizing resources, providing information, assessing the needs of different population groups, and preparing a National Education Strategy. They also have an interdepartmental advisory body which has produced the Report of the Working Group on Environmental Education and Training in Ireland (Department of Education), in 1997. The report details thecommitments relating to environmental awareness- raising and education which are contained in the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
A liaison committee between the Departments of the Environment and Local Government and Education has been established. At first and second levels, the Home School Community Liaison Scheme focuses on schools affected by significant social and economic disadvantage. The scheme aims at the promotion of active co-operation between home, school and relevant community agencies in advancing the educational interests of the children. At first and second levels, special per capita grants are paid to disadvantaged schools and a book grant scheme exists for needy pupils. At second level, pupils are eligible for alleviation of examination fees where they come from homes where genuine hardship exists. At third level, the abolition of undergraduate fees and the payment of maintenance grants are key measures that ensure greater participation of disadvantaged students.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
Ireland has a number of innovative educational and public awareness programs focusing on the environment. These include "Young Reporters for the Environment", the South Wexford Environment Education Programme (SWEEP) which involves an European network for exchanging and developing teaching materials; a Curriculum Development Unit for "European Action for the Environment"; and the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program initiative to exchange information on the INTERNET. The "Household Eco Team Programme", is a Global Action Plan where groups of neighbors work together to make lasting personal and household behaviour changes that yield environmental benefit, and "Mission Environment", a play performed by professional actors, will tour post-primary schools. Some Teacher Centres have also been involved in environmental education networks, and schools promote programmes with environmental themes (i.e., Tree Day, Energy Awareness Week, and Green schools competitions).
The Environmental Partnership Fund promotes awareness raising measures at the local level between NGOs and local authorities. Funds are available for awareness raising measures such as recycling, waste minimisation, anti-litter initiatives, promoting sustainable lifestyle etc. Online information, CDROMS and Regional Education Centres are also employed.
A number of measures are in place at all levels to enable those who are classified as disadvantaged to participate fully in the education system. Special measures at first level include the Early Start and Breaking the Cycle initiatives. The objective of the Early Start (pre-school) initiative is to expose young children to an educational programme which will enhance their overall development and lay a foundation for successful educational attainment in future years. The Breaking the Cycle programme is targeted at urban schools in designated areas of disadvantage. In rural areas, it targets schools which are serving dispersed populations and which have concentrations of disadvantaged children. The support is by way of extra staffing to reduce class sizes and special grant assistance for the purchase of materials and equipment and for local initiatives. A co-ordinator supports the programme in the schools.
The Department of Environment undertakes attitude surveys on an occasional basis and organizes information campaigns on a variety of environmental issues, for example, anti-litter and recycling. ENFO promotes environmental awareness by providing free environmental information on all environmental topics to the general public, schools, industry, research institutions and NGOs, and it offers international access to information, including the United Nations International Referral System for Sources of Environmental Information (INFOTERRA).
ENFO, the environmental information service of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, provides environmental information to the public through a variety of media including literature, exhibitions, lectures and on-line information. Media employed are radio and press advertising. In addition, ENFO, with its links to NGOs, County libraries, school curricula, school plans, Green Schools Award Scheme (An Taisce), and ECO - National Youth Environment Organisation, provides programs and campaigns for educating the public about water conservation and management in order to achieve sustainable water consumption patterns.
Ireland is a member of the European Environmental Communication Network (The Green Spider) which consists of environmental communication/information officers working in the central administrations of the EU member states. The objectives of the network include the exchange of experience between member states in the field of environmental communication.
The Department of the Environment funds three annual award schemes which aim at promoting public awareness in various ways, including identifying technical design, management, and manufacturing to enhance conservation of resources within industry; the best environmental record of the year among local authorities; and best public awareness campaigns among NGOs. Ireland also has Tidy Towns Competitions, Clean-up Ireland Week, and National Energy Awareness Week which in a number of ways address public awareness.
Status No information is available. Challenges No information is available. Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising No information is available. Information No information is available. Research and Technologies No information is available. Financing No information is available. Cooperation No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Ireland to the fifth and sixth sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: 1 April 1998.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
In Ireland, planning for handling major human settlements
emergencies are primarily a matter for the main
emergency units, but other agencies (for example, the Red Cross,
Civil Defense, etc.) may be involved in
the response to incidents.
Between 1926 and 1991, the urban population in Ireland increased
from 32% to almost 60% of the total
population. The five largest urban centers - Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, Galway, and Waterford - among them
have 67% of the total urban population. Up to the mid 1980s, there
had been a dramatic decrease of both
economic activity and population in the core centres of the large
cities. Large central areas were left
under-utilized or derelict as a result of, for example, a decline
in port-related and traditional city center
industries, changes in retail shopping patterns, the emergence of
large-scale suburban residential areas, and
a movement of business and commercial activities to the periphery
areas of the cities.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations No information is available. Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans No information is available. Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement No information is available.
Since 1986, however, a significant turnaround has been achieved,
largely as a result of urban renewal
schemes based on tax incentives which were first introduced in that
year. The current Urban Renewal
Plan is for the period 1994-1999. The central tenet of the
schemes has been to target the core areas of
urban centres which have suffered from the worst effects of urban
decay and to make incentives available
in those areas to encourage private sector investment. A recently
completed consultants' study on the
impacts of these schemes concluded that they had been highly
successful in achieving their aim of
leveraging private sector investment towards the targeted areas.
Former derelict and decaying inner urban
areas have been transformed. This has had considerable positive
impacts in terms of sustainability. Greater
use is now being made of existing infrastructure in city and town
centres, with less development pressures
on the green belts in the suburbs. In addition, the greater number
of people "living in town" means there is
less reliance on the motor car for commuting to work.
In addition to the tax incentive schemes, the Urban and Village
Renewal Sub-Programme of the
operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development
provides for funding to be made
available for measures which are designed to promote sustainable
physical, social, and economic
revitalization of urban centres ranging from the smaller villages
to the larger cities throughout the country.
Among the measures which are being implemented is one which funds
a major initiative in each of the five
main cities based on an action plan for a key area. A range of
urban improvement actions, including
landscaping, improving pedestrian amenities, and eradication of
derelict sites, is also being implemented in
the smaller urban centres. The principal objective is to improve
the physical environment of towns in order
to attract and sustain a business base, as well as support tourism
and living conditions generally.
The responsibility of accommodating homeless adults lies with local
authorities, who are also responsible
for providing accommodation for travellers. The Health Boards and
the Department of Health share
responsibility for sheltering people under the age of 18.
Urban-management rests with local authorities. A
scheme of capital assistance is available to approved bodies
providing accommodation for people who
qualify: the elderly, homeless and handicapped persons, victims of
violence and desertion, single parents,
or people otherwise accepted as qualified for local authority
housing.
There is an Irish Standard Specification (IS) for building products
which is the responsibility of the
National Standards Authority of Ireland (NASI). Ireland must
recognize, as an European Union (EU)
Member State, building materials equivalent to the IS.
The Urban Renewal Plan for 1994-1999 will have an implementation
cost of IR 92.5 million over the five
years. Funding for this programme is pooled together from the
Exchequer, the EU, and local authorities.
The local authorities provide a rental subsidy scheme whereby
people qualified to receive the benefit are
paid an ongoing subsidy according to their situation. Local
authorities also provide incentives for home
ownership cooperatives.
Status No information is available. Challenges No information is available. Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising No information is available. Information No information is available. Research and Technologies No information is available. Financing No information is available. Cooperation No information is available.
* * *
This information was provided by the Government of Ireland to
the fifth
session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable
Development.
Last Update: 1 April 1997.
Click here to access UNCHS "Best Practices for Human Settlements" in Western Europe (including Turkey)
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HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
For information related to human settlements and refugees, you may access the UNHCR Country Index by clicking here: