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THERE ARE CURRENTLY 139,000 children in Ireland living in poverty. This can mean going 24 hours without a substantial meal, being cold because parents cannot afford to heat their home or not having two strong pairs of shoes or a warm jacket.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said lifting 100,000 children out of poverty by 2020 is a priority for him. Later this morning, leading NGOs will tell ministers Regina Doherty and Finian McGrath how best to achieve this goal.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the annual pre-budget forum, taking place at Dublin Castle, CEO of One Family Karen Kiernan said many of the parents her organisation works with were already struggling before the cuts to welfare in the 2012 Budget.
‘Recovery’
One Family works with one-parent families and pointed out that children in these families are three-and-a-half times more likely to be poor than children in a two-parent family.
During the recession, she said “there were no jobs for anybody, nevermind family-friendly ones”.
June Tinsely, head of advocacy for Barnardos, said there is “very much a sense that things are on the up and let’s get on with it now”.
She said there is a “lack of understanding” of the challenges faced by families, and an assumption that the situation they are in is potentially their own fault.
These families who were dealing with poverty during the boom times, and who suffered significantly because of recessionary cuts, are not seeing any of the recovery that is often talked of now, she said.
“We need to be deliberate and mobilise quite concerted efforts to ensure whatever recovery there is, it is shared more equally.”
Poverty trap
The heads of the NGOs said they realised, as a sector, they had put too much emphasis on welfare payments and had not pinpointed enough investments in public services that could make a difference for children.
This will be their focus later this morning when they make their cases to the various government ministers.
Tanya Ward, CEO of Children’s Rights Alliance, said making childcare affordable is a route out of poverty because it helps children to learn and supports parents to work.
“Budget 2018 must invest in childcare so families can better afford it, services can improve in quality, and every child can reach their potential – not be stuck in a poverty trap,” she said.
Tinsely’s focus is on ensuring education in this country is actually free for children, as costs associated with education can push families into debt.
Access to free primary education is a right for all children and it can be realised for as little as €103 million per annum, just €185 per pupil. This would cover the costs of books, classroom resources, remove transport fees and voluntary contributions and raise the capitation rates back to 2010 levels.
Hidden homelessness
With nearly 2,800 homeless children, as well as the many others in ‘hidden homelessness’ – living with their families in the homes of friends of relatives – Hazel O’Byrne, head of social justice policy at St Vincent De Paul, said tackling the housing crisis should be a top priority.
“Access to secure, long-term accommodation is the solution for these families and that can best be provided through increased investment to build and acquire additional social housing. Until this is available, flexibility to increase the rates of HAP and Rent Supplement can help to prevent further families becoming homeless,” she said.
Speakers said parents will often sacrifice food to pay bills and rent – their main concern is keeping their children in their home.
Mary Cunningham, director of the National Youth Council of Ireland, said progress on reducing child poverty rates requires long-term and strategic investment in services and supports.
The NGOs said it is essential that Budget 2018 shows clear political commitment to reducing child poverty:
“Condemning 139,000 children to grow up in poverty is not a legacy to be proud of.”
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Charity is a business , the business model is not to fix the problem as it would mean that the 100s of so called charities would close down or have to join together. Every year it seems it’s the worst they’ve ever seen , ever year a new homeless charity or poverty charity is lauded . It’s big business and businesses need their “clients”.
@Niamh Leahy: Too true Niamh and the charity bosses are all FF FG and Labour supporters.
@Niamh Leahy: for years, despite being not very well off, we had some small standing orders in place for a few charities. Always knew there was bound to be a little administrative skimming, but then the scale of it became obvious. Never again … my tax is my charity, I cant avoid it and unfortunately I can’t stop that being skimmed either.
@Niamh Leahy: Well then maybe instead of relying on charities for so many of our public services, the state should start providing them like every other country.
@Éamonn Flynn: it probably would be cheaper and more cost effective if they did. Duplication in the charity business sector is a major problem . If they did take it over ,how are ex politicians and cohorts going to get the big wage , expense accounts ….that NGO’s get paid.
@Con Murphy: I doubt it. Most of the high paid heads of advocacy, community activists of charities etc that appear on TV programmes like VnB are of your own left wing leaning.
The headline should have just read “Charities seek millions more in Euros from government”.
But let’s use a bit of emotional blackmail.
I’m surprised there wasn’t a 1950′s picture of some filthy child in a tenement with the article.
@Cram Wood:
No need Cram just get an upto date one of families in cramped hotel basements using the back entrace so as not to upset the tourists. Might affect our G8 rating.
Again how many of these NCOS are there it’s a bit like the homelessness far to many an all getting top money’s. Close all these organisations an have one led by the government minister of the day . Who is already on a good packet .
@John Scott: I totally agree with you. If all the charities for homeless joined then think of the number of directors, managers on crazy wages that you & I can only immagine who would loose their jobs. We couldn’t have that. The same goes for all other charities for animal abuse, child abuse etc. it may help solve the mess that this country is in. But do we not have a minster for housing, envoronment, child welfare who should be doing their jobs. These minsters are getting a nice wage packet every week & allowing charities to do their jobs. Whats new in this country.
Some days it seems there’s an individual charity for each of the 139000
Simply subsidising childcare will go a long way to decrease poverty levels for the working poor.
I didn’t see reducing the salaries of the CEO’s of these charities anywhere in the plan.
@David Knight: You have a better chance of winning the lotto than that happening.
@David Knight: Although CHARITY salaries are bad it is government’s job not charities .. If you paid a decorating company to do work in your house and he arrived each day and done nothing and your neighbors paid someone else to do it for you would you complain about what your neighbors paid or want to know why the man you paid done nothing
I know… Let’s set up more charities and agencies to supervise them. That’s the only solution.
Child abuse govt,.
Maybe if Regina Doherty didn’t send GARDAI to the airport to stop Journalists returning to America not to be writing about her because ”She doesn’t like it” Then we may get more FDI and maybe if gardai just refused to be bullied by politicians then American citizens visiting wouldn’t return and liken our police force to that of 3rd world countries
have your say