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Living in poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life and its impact can last a lifetime.

Statistics on child poverty

• 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.

For more information on child poverty please see the below reports:

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


 

Our campaign on child poverty

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.

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