Debate contribution: Committee for Communities: Report on Engagement with Local Government on the Draft Anti-poverty Strategy
Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on .
- MLA
- Mrs Cathy Mason
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 26 May 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Committee for Communities: Report on Engagement with Local Government on the Draft Anti-poverty Strategy
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5582805
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I appreciate the figures that the Minister has mentioned, but we need to explore them further because there was a concern that the criteria had changed when they were being calculated. I appreciate the figures, but it is something that we need to look at. It came through clearly that poverty is not experienced in neat, departmental categories. The pressures overlap for families and individuals: housing, income, transport, childcare, employment, health and debt can all interact, and that is why a narrow or fragmented response will not be enough. The anti-poverty strategy must be much more than a Department for Communities document; it must be cross-cutting, supported by local delivery and informed by lived experience. The Minister mentioned that the British Government had a role, and I was glad to hear that, because delivery would be much easier if we were funded to need. I thank the Minister for his response to the debate, and there are issues that I want to point out. Language is important, and it goes back to something the Minister said about those who are economically inactive. Some people are in that situation by choice because of caring responsibilities, and it is important for us to be careful about the language that we use. I am sure that those who are caring for a sick child, sick parent or sick partner do not think it is a choice; it is the lack of choice. They do not want to sacrifice their career to take up those caring responsibilities, but they have no choice in the matter because they are the only person who can provide the care. I am also slightly disappointed that we went down a rabbit hole about fraud and error, rather than following the essence of the motion and the report that we brought forward today. We have to look at everything in the round, but the motion was about the involvement of local government in the anti-poverty strategy.
I am glad to hear the Minister mention getting people back into work, and good jobs are central to that. I am also glad that the Minister has recognised the need to take views on board and that the next draft of the strategy will be substantially different, and we look forward to seeing that. I have no doubt that the Committee will want to reflect carefully on the Minister's remarks, and I urge him to view the report as a practical contribution to strengthening the strategy before it is finalised. The Committee does not want to add unnecessary complexity; in fact, much of the report is about avoiding duplication and missed opportunities. An important theme of today's debate is the need to move beyond a crisis response, and immediate support will always matter. For a household with no heating oil, a fuel payment can be essential; for a parent who cannot afford a school uniform, practical help can reduce the pressure; and, for someone facing debt or benefit issues, advice services can prevent a bad situation from getting worse. I have no doubt that all our constituency offices will deal with an increase in cases, such as parents skipping meals so their children do not have to and workers taking on extra shifts just to stay afloat. We have heard that they all feel let down. They feel abandoned by the lack of action on an anti-poverty strategy and that they have been left to fend for themselves again. Interventions can prevent serious harm, and the Committee recognises the value of the councils, community organisations, advice workers and volunteers who deliver those services. If the system responds only when it is at the point of crisis, however, we will always be chasing the problem rather than reducing it. The final strategy must also deal with the reasons that people fall into poverty and the reasons that they cannot get out of it. That requires paying serious attention to housing, childcare, low-paid and insecure work, transport, rural isolation, health inequalities and access to advice. The report comes at an important moment, because the anti-poverty strategy is still in draft form. An opportunity has been created to strengthen the strategy before it is finalised. The test will not simply be whether the final strategy says the right things but whether it changes how government and public services work together. Will support become easier to access? Will councils and partners be able to target help more effectively? Will duplication be reduced? Will people be reached before the crisis deepens? Will communities see evidence that government is joined up? Those are the practical tests by which the strategy will be judged. In closing, I thank Members for their contributions and the Minister for his response. The Committee's report reflects evidence from all 11 councils. It is a serious piece of work over which the Committee took time. It recognises the vital place and voice of local government in tackling poverty across the North.
827 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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