In response to an Assembly question by Stewart Dickson MLA, Minister for Social Development Nelson McCausland MLA confirmed that 5,600 children in East Antrim were living below the poverty line in the period 2005/09. This equates to 29% of children in the constituency.
Responding to the figures, Stewart Dickson MLA said: “I am extremely concerned at this high level of child poverty in East Antrim.
“I recognise the important work done by groups in the area such as the NSPCC and Home Start and fully support their efforts to reduce child poverty.
“More needs to be done to tackle this issue. It is crucial that we give our young people the best start in life and addressing this matter has to be a key priority for the future of our society.
“Addressing child poverty requires us to create jobs and tackle wider economic deprivation. The Alliance Party is fully committed to this cause.”
ENDS