At the end of May the EU issued seven Country Specific Recommendations for Ireland covering a range of policy areas Ireland needs to address over the coming year. These Recommendations are part of the annual process related to the Europe 2020 Strategy which includes five targets including the target to reduce poverty and social exclusion by 2020.
While the Recommendations are dominated by the need for Ireland to reduce its budget deficit and public debt there are also potential positives on supporting people to be able to move into work and for the provision of affordable childcare. The Better Europe Alliance – Irish Civil Society Organisations for a Social and Sustainable Europe, including EAPN Ireland, has carried out and published an analysis of these Recommendations for Ireland which you can read here.
