Dia daoibh a chairde.
Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir ar maidin agus buíochas a ghabháil le hAxis i mBaile Munna as fáil a chur romhainn.
May I begin by welcoming you all here this morning for the third annual Child Poverty and Well-being Summit.
There is no better place to hold it than here, in the Axis Arts and Community Resource Centre in Ballymun — a building that is an embodiment of today’s theme: tackling poverty to build inclusion, well-being and social cohesion.
Spaces like this are where communities are built, and where every child who comes through them gets the chance to learn, grow and realise their potential.
Growing up in Cork, that place for me was Nemo Rangers. It was much more than a GAA club.
It was where I made friends, found my feet, and figured out who I was. It gave me, and so many young people like me, a sense of belonging, and the chance to thrive.
Home and school mattered hugely, of course. But so did all those hours we spent playing, exploring, creating, and arguing and then making up with one another. As adults, we maybe forget just how important those moments of play were in shaping us.
Those early experiences shaped my understanding of what every child needs to flourish. They’re part of the reason why I believe that ending child poverty means making sure every child’s basic needs are met.
But it is about so much more than that too. It is about giving every young person the chance to explore, to build confidence, to make friends, and to know the simple joy of childhood.
To the young people here today, my message is simple. Follow your interests. Chase what sparks your curiosity. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
Thank you for being here and for helping us to make life better for all children and young people across Ireland.
And to the adults in the room – the ones who help young people discover their passions through sport, music, art, community activities, or even politics – I want you to know that I am not naive about how hard that work is.
Every day, in communities like Ballymun, you do far more than open a door of opportunity.
You provide a safe place, you make sure children are fed and cared for, and you offer support and stability when they may need it most.
On some days, you may be the one adult a child can rely on.
And on the days when a child is carrying something heavy – a worry, a difficult experience – pointing them towards the door of opportunity is not enough. They need us to get to know them, to earn their trust, to walk with them to that door and to help them see what is possible on the other side.
I know the weight of that responsibility, because I see it carried by teachers, community and social and care workers, nurses, doctors, therapists, members of An Garda Síochána, and youth workers right across this country. You are often there for children and young people at some of the most important and challenging moments in their lives. That work does not go unnoticed.
There has been real concern in recent months and weeks about the changing nature of childhood and adolescence. A worry that some young people are growing up without the confidence, connection or sense of responsibility that strong communities are built on.
We must take that concern seriously. A generation that feels increasingly disconnected – from each other, from their communities, and from society around them – is something we cannot afford to ignore.
It is our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure that every young person has the chance to develop a sense of belonging, a chance to participate and the confidence to feel safe as they go about their lives.
When we think back to our own childhoods, it was often community and participation that created those opportunities for connection and purpose. Whether that was playing on the street, joining a local GAA or sporting club, or simply having somewhere to go and people to be with.
Those opportunities build skills, confidence, resilience, friendship and belonging.
And that matters not just for how children grow up, but for the kind of society we all live in – a strong and fair economy, a better quality of life, for everyone.
Enabling real participation means responding to the child in front of you. It means building a relationship with them, their families and their friends. It means understanding their worries and their interests and meeting them where they are.
And it means recognising that not every child starts from the same place. We cannot expect a child facing adversity to behave or respond in the same way as a child who has not faced those challenges.
That is the work that so many of you do every single day. And it is through that work – not just through policy alone – that we overcome disconnection and resentment and build communities where every child knows they belong, that they matter, and that they have a future worth believing in.
As I say, that is why I cannot think of a better venue for this year’s Child Poverty and Well-being Summit than here in Axis Ballymun.
It is in places like this, led by Sorcha and her team, that dreams are discovered, nurtured and developed. And it is in schools like Our Lady of Victories.
Thank you to First Class, and to their choir teachers, Niamh and Karen, for sharing their choir lesson with us and showing off their considerable talents.
I am sure for many of us it has been a while since we were part of something like that. It was a wonderful reminder of the simple joy, connection and sense of belonging that can come from making something together.
Is rudaí an-thábhachtach iad muinín agus féinmheas. Cloisim go minic ó fhostóirí agus eagraíochtaí faoi chumas iontach dhaoine óga na hÉireann. Cabhraítear le spórt, na healaíona, cultúr agus ceol an cumas sin a thaispeáint don domhan.
Tá neart samplaí de chumas agus poitéinseal i bpobail cosúil le Baile Munna (Glen Hansard nó Philly McMahon), ach ní féidir leis an bpoitéinseal sin a bhláthú ach amháin nuair a thugtar na deiseanna do dhaoine óga a suimeanna a fháil amach agus a láidreachtaí a fhorbairt.
I’m joined today by five ministerial colleagues, and as you’ll see from the programme, many more are working on this agenda. That so many are here hopefully demonstrates to you the priority that the Government I lead places on this issue.
Child poverty is a key priority for me and my colleagues and that will continue to be reflected in the decisions we take over the coming weeks as we finalise Budget 2027.
My focus now is on building on the momentum we have created and making sure that we keep moving forward year after year.
I want more children and more families to feel the benefit of that progress in their daily lives.
Last year, Minister Calleary and I set an ambitious national child poverty target to reduce the consistent child poverty rate to 3 per cent or less by the end of 2030.
That is our north star. It will guide every step we take for the duration of this Government.
When I meet children and young people around the country, they are very clear about what matters to them.
Fairness. Being able to afford the same things as their friends. Somewhere safe to play and socialise. A real chance to reach their potential.
They want adults to listen to them, respect them, and trust them. These are not big asks. They are simply the building blocks of a good childhood.
I always try to be straight when I respond to them. The future they want is achievable, but getting there won’t be easy. Reducing child poverty quickly and at scale is a real challenge, especially with economic uncertainty and growing demands on public spending.
That’s why recent budgets have focused on targeted measures to reduce child poverty. We have significantly increased child support payments and thresholds for the Working Family Payment, and we have enhanced our efforts to address fuel poverty.
We have improved affordability and access to Early Learning and Childcare and have reduced the cost of education for families.
Importantly, we are providing extra support where it is needed with DEIS PLUS and Equal Start, and we have extended support beyond the school year with the introduction of the Holiday Hunger Pilots.
Tá an dúshlán suntasach, ach is féidir an rud chéanna a rá faoinár ndiongbháilteacht. Tá a fhios againn nuair a oibríonn an Rialtas, pobail, scoileanna, teaghlaigh agus daoine óga le chéile, is féidir fíorathrú a bhaint amach.
The theme of Ireland’s EU Presidency is Ní neart go cur le chéile (“Strength with unity”).
I cannot think of anywhere that concept feels more true, or more alive, than in a room like this one.
I look forward to today’s events, and to the work that is ahead of all of us.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
ENDS
