'It's one of the richest countries.. & kids are going to their bed without a hot meal'

Stark reality of child poverty in Ireland is laid bare in new report

- OWEN CONLON

OPPOSITION parties want more funding in Budget 2026 after a report revealed over 100,000 children live in poverty - a rise of 45,000 in just a year.

The Child Poverty Monitor from the Children's Rights Alliance found a scarcity of housing has led thousands of families into homelessness.

The report also reveals overcrowding is a persistent issue, with nearly one in four children at risk of poverty growing up in overcrowded homes.

Single-parent households are among the worst affected, with these families significantly more likely to be unable to afford a weekly roast dinner or meat, chicken or fish every second day.

Only 25% of households receiving social welfare were found to have an adequate income last year.

The report is critical of Government policy, noting a reliance on one-off payments and temporary top-ups, not permanent increases to welfare supports.

RISK

The report shows the decline in child poverty between 2021 and 2023 is in reverse with a rise from 14.3% of children at risk of poverty in 2023 to 15.3% last year.

This accounts for 12,955 more children living in households with incomes below 60% of the median.