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Economic and Social Research Institute finds levels of child poverty higher when housing costs factored in
3 MIN READ The number of children in households below the poverty line grew by almost a fifth in 2024, according to fresh research from the That was despite strong growth in average household income, which – when adjusted for inflation, household size and composition – rose by 4 per cent between 2023 and 2024.
The ESRI said additional policy measures will be needed for the Government to meet its official child poverty target. It said a means-tested second tier of child benefit would “reduce child poverty more effectively, per euro spent, than increasing existing supports. This is because many low-income families with children are not eligible for – or do not take up – existing means-tested supports and so do not benefit from increases to these supports.
”Dara Ó Briain: ‘The direction in which you punch matters or people don’t warm to it’Normal capital gains tax rules are set aside if spouses transfer shares to each otherThe increase in child poverty was larger after housing costs were accounted for, rising by 23 per cent to 260,000 children. The analysis also found that the Coalition was “very far” from meeting its target to reduce child poverty to 3 per cent by 2030.
This target is defined as the share of children who are below both the poverty line, before housing costs are accounted for, and experiencing material deprivation, defined as an inability to afford two or more essential goods and services.
“Additionally, this measure fails to capture a large number of children who experience material deprivation but have incomes just above the poverty line, meaning it fails to capture many of those facing high housing costs,” it noted. The rise in child poverty was particularly pronounced for families with young children, increasing from 21 per cent to 27 per cent for families with children up to age five when housing costs were accounted for but falling from 12 per cent to 10 per cent for those whose youngest child was above 11 years old.
Barra Roantree, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin and a co-author of the report, said: “Our findings suggest that it is important to account for housing costs in the measurement of child poverty, something the Government’s official 2030 target does not do.
“Regardless of how it is measured, it is clear that new policy measures, such as a second tier of child benefit, will be needed if the Government is to come close to meeting this target. ” Community Foundation Ireland chief executive Denise Charlton added: “These findings provide the evidence that many children and families continue to face enormous challenges, even in times when, on paper, our country is rich.
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