The Ministers met with representatives from the Anti-Poverty Coalition today to discuss the Keep the Promise campaign which will culminate in a rally at Trafalgar Square in London on 4 October where 10,000 people will call on Gordon Brown to keep his promise to end child poverty.
Mr Donaldson said: “Our commitment to tackling child poverty is outlined in our Programme for Government. Our targets on child poverty are challenging particularly in the current economic climate. The actions of the UK Government will have a direct impact on levels of child poverty in Northern Ireland. The Executive here is committed to doing all it can to work towards achieving those targets.”
Mr Kelly said: “No one should be condemned to a life of poverty. It is up to us to ensure that all children get the best start in life and are afforded the opportunity to grow and reach their potential. We are working across all departments to ensure to ensure a comprehensive and cohesive focus on the issue of child poverty. We welcome this opportunity to be part of such a worthwhile campaign and wish the organisations well for their rally at the weekend.”
Notes to Editors:
- Photographs are available from Felicity Templeton on 07713242412.
- The campaign is led by the London-based End Child Poverty Coalition.
- The Child Poverty Alliance is an alliance of organisations working together to ensure that the UK Government and NI Executive achieve their targets of halving child poverty in Northern Ireland by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020. Members include: Barnardo’s, CiNI, Disability Action, Gingerbread, Life Start, Mothers Union, Action for Children, NICCY, NICVA, Parents Advice Centre, Playboard, Quaker Service, Rural Community Network, Save the Children, Shelter NI, Youth Net.
