Northern Ireland public wants to see action on child poverty
The provision of affordable childcare is the most popular measure among people in the region according to the poll carried out by LucidTalk for Save The Children NI.
The charity also challenged the Stormont Executive to unveil the details of their anti-poverty strategy, which was agreed last month.
The poll found that most believe child poverty has got worse, with 80% blaming that on the high cost of living, 49% pointing to a lack of affordable housing and 37% cited low wages and poor job opportunities.
Recent figures from the Department for Communities (DfC) suggest that around 22% of children in Northern Ireland are growing up in poverty.
The research also found that the public expects leadership from Westminster and Stormont to address child poverty.
Some 70% indicated they see the UK Government as very responsible, with 66% believing Stormont is very responsible for tackling it. This comes after a previous poll revealed only 5% believe politicians are taking significant and effective action.
Findings indicate that the Northern Ireland public want to see practical solutions to reduce costs and improve stability for families.
This includes 67% wanting affordable childcare for all, 66% calling for more social housing, 67% better pay and conditions for workers, 64% seeking extra funding for schools in poorer areas and 60% in favour of universal free school meals.
Meanwhile 46% favoured increases in child related benefits and 40% wanted increases to parental leave.
Head of Save the Children NI Peter Bryson said the research underlines that people want to see action on child poverty.
'Clearly people in Northern Ireland see child poverty as a core issue and want to see ambition and action from our political leaders when it comes to tackling it,' he said.
'What we see in these findings is that the public don't want the Executive to repeat the mistakes of the past.
'We urge the Executive to immediately publish details of the Anti-Poverty Strategy so it can be scrutinised.
'People want an ambitious plan that sets out concrete targets, realistic objectives and tangible steps to bring about transformation for the one in four children here who live daily with the limiting realities of poverty.'
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
4 hours ago
- Spectator
Deluded Americans are descending on Ireland
The American girl was listing her reasons for moving to Ireland in protest at Donald Trump. 'I cannot stay in a country where Roe vs Wade has been overturned. Did you know abortion is restricted in a lot of states? Oh no, I cannot wait to live in Ireland.' We are becoming used to Americans staying at our B&B while they are house-hunting in Ireland during a fit of pique. We let it all go over our heads. But the question remains. Why are these migrating anti-Trumpers so daft? They are flouncing out of America to come to Ireland in a reverse ferret of how the journey across the Atlantic has been done for centuries. When they explain their reasoning, they couldn't bark up a wronger tree if they tried. Although I would say, in their defence, the way Ireland markets itself is very misleading, with all the rainbow Pride flags and Palestinian embassies. But liberal Americans don't seem to understand that this is the image, tailored for tourism and EU grants, I suspect. The practical reality is very different. As wonderful as the Emerald Isle is, they're going the wrong way across the Atlantic. 'From Galway to Graceland' is the song title. There is no song entitled 'From California to Carlow'. Or Cork. Or Kerry. No young person living in New York or Los Angeles has ever dreamed of leaving the lights, the shops, the theatres and the endless opportunities to get on a boat to Rosslare to begin working on a cattle farm and going down the chipper for their dinner. But a whole load of overprivileged Yanks are descending on Ireland in a huff, invoking their Irish ancestry and sitting in the rain declaring 'This will show Trump!' – while Trump is enjoying White House room service and sunning himself in Palm Beach. I call it the Rosie O'Donnell syndrome. The actress and comedian makes no sense when explaining why she has moved from New York and Hollywood to Dublin, allegedly because she doesn't 'feel safe' surrounded by people who voted for Trump. I often amuse myself during the long, dark West Cork summer evenings by imagining Ms O'Donnell trying to call out a plumber. 'I wonder if she's had a blocked loo yet, or an overflowing gutter,' I remark to the builder boyfriend. 'No bother!' says the BB, impersonating a plumber who is not going to turn up. Ms O'Donnell keeps insisting it's all fantastic. Maybe the locals are saying 'Top of the morning to you, Rosie!' to amuse themselves. But at some point she's going to have someone say the following to her, very impatiently: 'So do you want to go on the waiting list for a call-out for a quote for a new bathroom in six months' time or not?' When the two girls from California came to stay at our B&B, they burst through the kitchen doors as we were eating our dinner and launched into a gushing speech about how much they loved Ireland and felt at home in Ireland, having been here a day. Yeah, all right, I thought. We don't tend to get five-star reviews from people who've just landed that morning. We get five-star reviews from people who've been on the road a week or two, and who fall into our red-hot, full pressure showers with a gratitude that's bordering hysteria. These two were at the idealistic stage. It only took them two minutes to get on to Trump and a pro-choice rant which we could have done without, for we were eating a plate of linguine. One girl stood outside smoking and asked if we had any weed, while the other girl made herself comfortable on the kitchen sofa and started explaining what happens to women in southern US states where abortion is restricted. She could not live in that kind of country. She wanted to live in a society where there was completely unfettered freedom for women in the pro-choice arena. That's why they were in Ireland on a mission to investigate relocating here… The BB looked at me, pausing the forking of linguine into his mouth. 'Er,' I said. And I put my fork down. 'Are you sure we can't offer you some pasta?' No, they said, they had just had pizza. 'Ice cream?' I said. 'Go on. Have some ice cream.' They said that would be nice. So I got five flavours of ice cream out of the freezer and set them on the table with bowls and spoons and the girls sat down at the table. I said: 'You do know Ireland is Catholic, don't you?' They looked blank, then started gushing again. 'We just love it here! We feel right at home, don't we?' 'We do! The people are wonderful! So welcoming! We're going to be so happy here!' While one puffed on a vape and the other ate ice cream, they told us how much they despaired for their country. They said there was some hope for women's rights and liberal ideology, though, because of the nice Muslim Democratic candidate being lined up for mayor of New York. By now, the BB and I were sitting there with our mouths slightly ajar, saying nothing. What was spilling out of their brains made no more sense than if they'd told us they were going to put the raspberry ripple in the oven to keep it frozen. They finished slagging off America, then went to bed saying they had to be up at 7.30 a.m. to go to Blarney Castle. The next day they came down at noon and said they might give the Blarney Stone a miss. They were going just to get in the car and drive and see where the road took them. 'That sounds like an excellent plan,' I said, wondering if the road would be so good as to take them back to the airport.
Times
11 hours ago
- Times
How Ukraine uses fishing nets to protect troops from Russian drones
T he road in northern Ukraine was covered from above and on both sides with thick netting that stretched for miles, towards Russia. It was just one of a number of anti-drone 'tunnels' that Ukraine is constructing to protect soldiers and civilians in frontline regions. The netting is a low-tech solution to the first-person-view [FPV] drones that have transformed the nature of the war in Ukraine and, perhaps, warfare itself. Cheap FPV drones packed with explosives are manned remotely by pilots and provide real-time video feeds, allowing them to be directed with deadly accuracy against soldiers, as well as military vehicles and equipment. They are used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces and have created a vast 'kill zone' where nothing can move without attracting the attention of swarms of kamikaze drones.
Belfast Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Hilary Benn: ‘It would be difficult to imagine 30 years ago that we'd have such a vibrant business environment in NI'
This summer marks one year since I took office as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In that time I have had the privilege of meeting some great entrepreneurs and business leaders across the length and breadth of Northern Ireland. It would have been difficult to imagine 30 years ago that we'd have such vibrant businesses in aerospace, life sciences, manufacturing, and film and television as we do here today. Yet these sectors are at the cornerstone of Northern Ireland's economy and I have greatly enjoyed seeing first hand how businesses are successfully attracting inward investment, innovating and experiencing significant economic growth. To move from a place struggling against terrorism and instability to being a region whose economy grew faster than the UK as a whole last year, shows what can be achieved with political stability, co-operation and a strong economy. The Northern Ireland Executive is now working constructively together and I believe the conditions are in place for the Executive to make the most of the opportunities that beckon for Northern Ireland. With a record settlement of £19.3bn for the next three years from the UK Government, there is no longer a financial cliff edge limiting strategic investment and planning. This funding, the largest in the history of devolution, reflects the Government's commitment to delivery in Northern Ireland, as well as unlocking and realising the potential of its people, places and products. In support of Northern Ireland's growing economy, the Prime Minister announced a £1.6bn deal in March which will see Thales in Belfast manufacture more than 5,000 lightweight-multirole missiles for Ukraine's defence, creating 200 new jobs and supporting 700 highly skilled existing jobs at Thales in Belfast. There will also be additional funding for Northern Ireland based cutting-edge research, skills and innovation including £2m funding for Queen's University Belfast's Cyber AI Hub. Our local aerospace industries will also benefit, securing jobs for over 5,000 people. And there will be £310m over four years for City and Growth Deals to support economic growth and regional development in Belfast, Derry & Strabane, Causeway Coast & Glens and Mid South West regions. Whilst global uncertainty means we must find a way through turbulent economic times, our Plan for Change will help economic growth to further strengthen the UK, and Northern Ireland', place in the world. We have now published our Industrial Strategy which sets out a new relationship between business and government, so that the UK can be a more dynamic market, with business freed up to focus on what it does best – creating wealth. Published alongside this, our Trade Strategy marks a reset in our approach to international trade. This strategy is designed to stimulate economic growth, through delivery of targeted business benefits. And building on the recent trade agreements with the US and India, we want to help Northern Ireland businesses reach new markets, attract international investment, and drive sustainable economic growth. These deals will be on top of the advantageous trading arrangements which already exist through the Windsor Framework. And once finalised, the new SPS Agreement with the EU will also facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK's internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice. Northern Ireland's prosperity is tied to its relationship with the rest of the UK and, as I look down this list of the Top 100, I am even more confident that Northern Ireland's economy will continue to flourish as a thriving and growing part of the UK for many years to come.
