Durkan calls on society to improve prospects for children

Society must provide for children and give them the opportunity to reach their full potential, the Deputy First Minister said today.

Mark Durkan was speaking during a visit to the Government funded Sure Start project, on Belfast’s Shankill Road, where he saw the work being undertaken to improve social conditions of both parents and children. This was one among the 23 Sure Start programmes across Northern Ireland – attracting £6.3 million in funding – which support over 17,000 children up to the age of three.

Furthermore, the Deputy First Minister said the Executive is tackling both poverty and the disadvantage through over 500 actions, which have related public expenditure of around £2 billion.

Mr Durkan said: “We must work towards the goal of providing the best start for the youngest people in our society through targeted programmes that meet real needs, especially in areas of greatest deprivation.

“We are working in partnership with the voluntary and community sector to concentrate our energies and resources in the fight against poverty, especially as it affects children. We are targeting our resources objectively to the areas of greatest need to create a fairer society that provides opportunities for all."

The Executive has several initiatives in place to address child poverty, which are currently funded to a level of over £50 million. The Children’s Executive Programme Fund has already allocated over £10.3 million for projects involving children and young people in areas including health, education, play and working with children at risk.

On top of this, the expansion of the pre-school education programme, targeted at four year olds, will create an additional 9,400 free nursery places. The Book Start programme will also provide books for over 28,000 babies and their parents across Northern Ireland.

Mr Durkan also highlighted his commitment to protecting the rights and addressing the needs of children in Northern Ireland. He said: “The First Minister and I have brought forward legislation to appoint a Children’s Commissioner early next year. For the first time, there will be a powerful, independent champion for children and young people in Northern Ireland; someone to ensure that their rights and best interests are the paramount consideration in matters ranging from individual cases right through to the development of new policies or legislation.’’

(GMcG)