Approval for council’s anti-poverty strategy

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council is finalising its ‘milestone’ anti-poverty strategy, with a view to launching it early next month.

At a recent meeting of the local authority’s Regeneration and Communities committee, members approved the final draft of the Fermanagh and Omagh Anti-Poverty Strategy, known as ‘Pathways out of Poverty’.

While FODC plans to launch its strategy on December 5, the NI Executive has yet to release a similar plan for the North.

It has been recommended that the finalised FODC anti-poverty strategy is forwarded to the Executive as an ‘example of best practice’.

Over the last six years, an average of 23 per-cent of the Fermanagh and Omagh population has been living in relative poverty.

And, following a council agreement of the draft strategy in June this year, a public consultation process was undertaken from July 5 until September 30, with a total of 59 responses received.

Notably, 95 per-cent of respondents agreed with the overall collective mission to work in partnership to improve the lives and wellbeing of our communities and provide ‘Pathways out of
Poverty’.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Barry McElduff said, “It has been acknowledged at regional meetings I have attended, that this council is doing very well in terms of publicising measures which are in place to help
people and the partners we work with.

“I would agree that we are very progressive in this area,” Cllr McElduff said.

“Again, it’s against the backdrop of DfC (Department for Communities) not committing funding this particular year which reduces our ability to be of greater help. The package would normally have been made up of central DfC support, augmented by council input.

“But this time it’s go it alone with a council budget only.”

Cllr McElduff proposed the adoption of the report, seconded by Cllr Ann-Marie Donnelly.