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Stormont found in breach of duty on anti-poverty

Elaine Mitchell
BBC News NI
BBC A woman holds a placard which says 'Implement anti-poverty strategy' in red text. Above this it says 'Unison' in white text on a purple background. The Royal Courts of Justice are behind herBBC
Union members were outside the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast on Wednesday

Stormont's Executive Committee has been found in breach of its legal obligation to adopt an anti-poverty strategy at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The strategy was first committed to 18 years ago in an effort to tackle poverty, social exclusion and deprivation.

The human rights group, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), took the case against the Stormont Executive, the communities minister and the first and deputy first ministers.

The judge said there was no evidence that the communities minister or the first and deputy first ministers were in breach of their duties.

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities said the department had noted the findings of the court and officials was considering these in detail.

The spokesperson added that strategy remains a "key priority" for the minister.

The court heard while the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had "abandoned" work done for the strategy, it did not amount to a "deliberate attempt to thwart" publication of the anti-poverty strategy.

Una Boyd outside court. She is wearing a black scarf and black jacket. Her brown hair is tied back. There are people behind her.
Una Boyd says an anti-poverty strategy is a legal obligation

Lawyer Una Boyd, representing the human rights group, said while the judgement had not gone entirely their way, it was a "significant victory".

"What is very important about the outcome is it reiterates that an anti-poverty strategy isn't a policy decision, it isn't something that's nice to have.

"It's a legal obligation, and that legal obligation simply has not been filled."

The court heard a timeline of the delays in adopting the anti-poverty strategy, which was included in the Northern Ireland Act following the St Andrews Agreement in 2006.

Gerry Murphy outside court. He is wearing a black jacket, green scarf and glasses. He has grey hair. Behind him are campaigners with red and purple flags.
Gerry Murphy, from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said poverty was "widespread"

The case, brought by the CAJ, is also supported by members of the Equality Coalition including Unison, Barnardo's NI and the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network.

Gerry Murphy, from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said the outcome showed there was a "malaise affecting decision making" at Stormont.

"Poverty is widespread across our community," he said.

"On top of all of that, it's affecting people who are never affected by poverty before."

John Patrick Clayton outside court. He is wearing a grey puffer jacket, blue shirt and burgundy tie. He has black hair.
John Patrick Clayton, from Unison, described poverty as an "urgent issue"

John Patrick Clayton, from Unison, was involved in the design of the anti-poverty strategy and he said the delay in adopting the strategy was frustrating.

"Poverty is an urgent issue," he said.

"It would have made a difference in people's day-to-day lives.

"I should say we haven't seen the content of the executive draft strategy so it's hard in the abstract to say specifically what the executive might have done that would have made a difference.

"But there's a whole range of things that had been recommended previously."

He said this includes recommendations to introduce a new child payment, building on the model that is used in Scotland.

"We had advocated within my own union for the introduction of universal free school meals so there are measures there that could make a tangible difference in people's lives," he added.

AThe Department for Communities said the strategy remains a "key priority for the Minister" and work is ongoing to bring forward an effective, sustainable and deliverable Strategy in the coming weeks.

"It should be noted that the case brought against the Minister for Communities was dismissed and the court recognised the Minister's "intention to produce an anti-poverty strategy in the near future for consideration and, if appropriate, adoption by the Executive Committee."