Thank you Chairman and Members of the Committee for this opportunity to come and speak to you today about the work of my Department.  I look forward to working with the Committee

I am keen that my officials are available and accessible should the Committee request briefing on any of the issues. I know that the Chairman has already engaged in a series of visits with senior officials, which I hope has been useful and should further briefing be required I am of course happy for officials to come to the Committee to facilitate this.

Most of the work of my Department is focused on our most disadvantaged citizens, families and communities; through social security, child maintenance, providing social housing, addressing homelessness and supporting our poorest communities through neighbourhood renewal.

DSD has a huge impact on peoples lives; delivering a budget of almost £6 billion per annum through 7900 staff. We have an impact on every residential area, community, village and town across Northern Ireland

And I am greatly impressed with the work of the Department and its staff. Housing targets have been exceeded;, a substantial programme of improvements to our towns and cities delivered; through neighbourhood renewal the delivery of many hundreds of projects of direct support to our poorest communities; the Social Security Agency has recorded its best ever performance levels and record levels of money being collected for children by the Child Maintenance Enforcement Division.

But major problems remain to be tackled. We are in the midst of an economic downturn that affects everybody but impacts most on the least well off. Latest figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies indicate that inflation increased the cost of goods and services to the poorest families by 4.3% a year between 2008 and 2010, compared to 2.7% experienced by the richest fifth of households during the same period. Unemployment continues to rise here, as does those seeking support from the Social Security Agency. And we have stubbornly high rates of people dependent on benefits compared to the rest of the UK. Tackling poverty then will be a significant challenge in this difficult economic climate.

So we need to continue to provide support to the people most in need through  payments of benefits, provision of  social housing, neighbourhood renewal and to ensure that child maintenance is collected and directed to children.

But I want us to do more. We need to be realistic and ambitious; realistic in recognising the scale of the problem; ambitious in designing new and more effective solutions to the problems we face.

As Minister I want all the business areas in DSD to work together to achieve our common goals. And I very much see that as about working towards what I understand to be sustainability; for individuals; for families for communities

I also want DSD to work very closely with other Departments – DEL, DRD, DHSSPS, DE and OFMdFM for example, to make a difference. I have already met with a number of my Ministerial colleagues and plan to talk to them all.

That means for DSD;

Working  with the Executive to get people into work; to ensure that our poorest communities are part of growing our economy;

Tackling fuel poverty through measures that result in warmer more fuel effecient homes.

Making sure that  all parents are encouraged and where necessary required to support their children  through child maintenance payments

Working actively with our most disadvantaged communities and with other departments   to provide the services those communities need to tackle poverty and reduce the gap between the richest and poorest.

And where necessary providing good quality social housing for those in need.

This will be no easy task. What I am asking officials to consider, and I would seek the support and views of this Committee in this endeavour, is how can we better work together to tackle poverty and achieve greater sustainability within a budget that we know is unlikely to increase?  

So that’s the big picture and I would very much welcome your views on how I might progress my agenda.

Now, in terms of the specifics the major immediate challenges I face include the following:

The welfare reform programme being taken forward by the Coalition government will deliver the greatest change to welfare since the Beveridge Report. How in the context of the parity arrangements for delivery of Social Security and Child Maintenance currently providing support to 500,000 people here can we get the best deal for Northern Ireland?

How can the delivery of Universal Credit be part of the wider Executive strategy to deliver economic development?

How do we get the overall housing market moving effectively, seeing how private rental, affordable and social housing sectors can best develop?

How can we deliver a social housing programme that makes the best use of public and private sectors and maximises the income to deliver that housing from the private sector? What is the future role and direction of the Housing Executive and Housing Associations in delivering social housing? I intend soon to make public an independent report that has been prepared by PWC as part of the fundamental review of the Housing Executive. I will be asking you as a Committee in particular to consider and give me your views on that report by September before I bring forward my own proposals. I have asked PWC to be available to explain their work to you if that would be helpful. My officials will be speaking to you later about the background to this.

How can we help our most disadvantaged communities to reduce the economic disparity between rich and poor through ensuring those communities are connected to and benefit from economic development?

How can we support communities to ensure they are sustainable, combining housing with regeneration work in a more effective way?

With the costs of fuel increasing rapidly what actions can we take to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty?

And how can we develop our towns and city centres, in the midst of an economic recession in a way that can continue to contribute to economic development?   

I am sure the Committee will not be surprised by the challenges I have outlined. But I do believe if we are to succeed that a step change is necessary in our actions and in our policies. How can we work better in DSD, with Executive colleagues and with communities to achieve sustainable outcomes where those who are currently the most disadvantaged are increasingly connected to a vibrant and growing economy?

I would be happy to take questions and comments Chairman.