Anti-poverty strategy agreed by Stormont after almost 20 years
It was committed to in 2006
The Stormont Executive has agreed Northern Ireland's long-delayed anti-poverty strategy.
The agreement was announced at a press conference at Stormont Castle by First Minister Michelle O'Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.
The draft strategy will be presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly next week by Mr Lyons before it goes for public consultation and then returns to the Executive before implementation.
Figures from the Department for Communities have suggested that 22% of children in Northern Ireland are growing up in poverty.
The strategy was committed to in 2006.
A court ruling in March said Stormont's Executive Committee was in breach of its legal obligations by not adopting a strategy to tackle poverty, deprivation and social exclusion.