Society at launch of Government Consultation Document

The Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army were chosen by the Secretary of State Paul Murphy to jointly launch the Government's consulation document 'Towards an anti-poverty strategy - Targeting Social Need - the way forward', in the Spires Centre, Belfast on 14th April 2004.

The document represents the Government's high level policy for tackling poverty and social exclusion in NI. The aims of the new 'TSN' policy are to promote employment and employability amongst the most disadvantaged; tackling other areas on inequality such as health, education and housing; and to establish arrangements to tackle social exlusion in vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities and the disabled.

Aileen Coney - speaking at launch

"Poverty is not only about a shortage of money. It is about rights and relationships; about how people are treated and how they regard themselves; about powerlessness, exclusion and loss of dignity. Yet the lack of an adequate income is at its heart".