Social Inclusion is an important horizontal theme in the Government’s priorities. The Community Strategic Guidelines also stress the importance of social cohesion and social inclusion in order to help promote socially inclusive societies and combat poverty.
The strategic framework for social inclusion in Ireland is now being significantly enhanced through:
the new partnership agreement, Towards 2016;
the recent National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (NSSPI), submitted to the EU in September 2006;
the new National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAP inclusion) which was published in February 2007; and
the Social Inclusion and Human Capital Chapters and other relevant elements of the NDP (2007 – 2013).
For the first time, the systems and structures that contributed to the overall strategy for promoting social inclusion will be brought together in an integrated framework that will ensure that economic and social development go hand in hand.
The Operational Programmes will as far as possible incorporate measures to ensure Social Inclusion and minimise the effects of Social Exclusion in the development and implementation of the Operational Programmes. The Managing Authority is committed to tracking the impact of social inclusion at implementation level on relevant operations within the Programme, and will work with the intermediary bodies in devising appropriate detailed implementation plans.
