ECONOMIC BOOM FAILS TO ADDRESS CHILDREN IN POVERTY

ONE in three children in Ireland live in poverty and face lives of
crime, drugs and deprivation as adults in the new millennium.

Despite the economic boom, over 250,000 children under the age of 14
live in households where the family income is less than half the
national average.

Barnardos, the child-centred charity, launched its action plan for the
millennium yesterday by pledging to spend over A35 million to help
children get a better start in life.

The comprehensive plan for 1999- 2002 outlines the charity's
fund-raising objectives as well as its commitment to influencing
legislation on the rights of the child.

Barnardos chief executive, Mr Owen Keenan said Ireland was a
contradiction having one of the strongest economy's and yet one of the
highest ratios of child poverty in Europe.

Mr Keenan said over 2,000 young people leave school every year without
even a basic qualification.

Statistics compiled for the report show two out of three drug users in
treatment are under 25 while one in 10 criminal offenders are under
the age of 21.

"The weekly cost of detaining a prisoner in Ireland is IEP1,000 and
Barnardos holds the principle that prevention is better than cure,"
said Mr Keenan.

"Let's review our approach and tackle the social problems in the
formative years instead of paying the cost further down the road," he
said.

Barnardos, which has provided child and family support services in
Ireland for over 20 years, said its ambitious plan to raise and spend
at least IEP5 million was vital given the level of disadvantage that
currently existed here.

Over the next three years, the charity will concentrate funding on its
existing services while also providing additional ones.

Barnardos said it will continue supporting abused and neglected
children, those bereaved at a young age as well as children who are
the subject of court proceedings.

New areas to be targeted at the beginning of next year, include the
homeless, children of ethnic minorities and refugees.

For its long-term strategy it will call for the full implementation of
the UN convention on the rights of the child as well as a 24-hour
child protection service throughout the country.

Of every pound donated to Barnardos, less than 5p goes on
administration while more than 90p goes to its children's services.