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Living in poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life and its impact can last a lifetime.
• In 2008, 6.3% of children continued to live in consistent poverty in Ireland. This amounts to 65,270 children. This compares with a consistent poverty rate of 1.7% among persons aged 65-74 and 1% among persons aged 75 or over.
• Consistent poverty means that these children are living in households with incomes below 60% of the national median income and experiencing deprivation based on the agreed eight deprivation indicators. This can mean going 24 hours without a substantial meal or being cold because parents are unable to afford to heat the home.
• Children account for 38.7% of all those in consistent poverty.
• Children continue to be the age-group most at risk of poverty, with a rate of 18% in 2008. This compares with an at risk poverty rate of 13.5% among people of working age.
• The relative income poverty line for 2008 is €239.52 per week. If your income falls below this amount you are deemed to be at risk of poverty.
• Lone parent households are among the most at risk of poverty with a rate of 36.4% in 2008.
• Here are some of the effects of poverty on children:
-Up to 1,000 children do not transfer from primary to secondary school.
- 15% of young people leave school without a Leaving Certificate and 3% with no qualification at all.
- Many of those on low incomes cannot afford to bring their child to the doctor, dentist or optician.
- The waiting lists for assessments such as psychological and psychiatric assessments are approximately 14 months which means that medical conditions are not detected early and can have a detrimental impact on a child's development.
- Hundreds of children are living in substandard accommodation. 48,000 families are currently on the waiting list for social housing. Damp, overcrowded, poor quality housing affects children's health and well-being.
How the poor were made to pay - Budget Analysis by the Poor Can't Pay Campaign, 2010
Barnardos Yes/ No campaign report on child poverty 2010
Barnardos Children's Budget Pre-Budget Submission 2009
Barnardos Children's Budget Pre-budget Submission 2008
Click here to find out about our 2009 Yes/ No campaign on child poverty
Click here to find out about our 2005 campaign on child poverty.
Barnardos supports children whose well-being is under threat, by working with them, their families and communities and by campaigning for the rights of children. Barnardos was established in Ireland in 1962 and is Ireland's leading independent children's charity.