Almost 230,000 children are going without basic items and activities for a comfortable life in the State, according to new estimates from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
The number of under-18s experiencing material deprivation has risen by 14 per cent since 2022, its research shows.
Material deprivation is defined as the share of individuals in households unable to afford two or more items from a list of 10 essentials. This rose from 17.7 per cent for those aged under 18 in 2022 to 20.1 per cent last year.
In contrast, material deprivation fell from 11.7 per cent to 9.8 per cent for those aged 65 and over across the same period. This group also saw their average real disposable incomes rise by 3 per cent, boosted by an increase in earnings from work and higher employment rates.
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Among the list of 10 essential items are two pairs of strong shoes, a warm waterproof overcoat, new clothes, home heating during the last year and a meal with meat, chicken, fish or the vegetarian equivalent every second day.
The findings are included in the ESRI’s research published on Thursday in partnership with Community Foundation Ireland, using the latest data from the Central Statistics Office’s Survey of Incomes and Living Conditions.
The report also outlines that after a decade of uninterrupted growth, inflation has left average disposable income lower than it was two years earlier across the population as a whole.
Post-tax and transfer incomes adjusted for household size have fallen in real terms at the mean and median: by 2.2 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively between 2021 and 2022, leaving average household disposable income lower than it was in 2020.
While average post-tax and transfer incomes fell in real terms by about 3 per cent for those aged under 65, they grew by 3 per cent for those aged 65 and over.
Adjusted for household size and housing costs, average disposable incomes are now higher for those aged above than below 65.
When housing costs are accounted for, rates of child poverty have increased in recent years, the research indicates. Although rates of child poverty have fallen slightly on a before-housing costs basis, they have increased from 20 per cent in 2020 to 22 per cent in 2023 on an after-housing costs basis.
Those experiencing material deprivation are less engaged in civic participation, the research outlines, and have significantly fewer social contacts than other adults and lower levels of life satisfaction.
The research also says that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a damaging effect on life satisfaction, civic participation and social contact.
[ The Irish Times view on child poverty in 2024: So much still to be doneOpens in new window ]
By 2023, life satisfaction had still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2018.
Dr Barra Roantree, a co-author of the report, said the findings suggest additional policy measures — such as a second tier of child benefit targeted at low-income families — may need to be considered if Government commitments “to reduce rates of child poverty and material deprivation are to be achieved”.
Dr Helen Russell, a research professor at the ESRI and co-author of the report, said poverty has a “depressing effect” on social and civic participation.
“If individuals feel excluded from society and that their voices are not heard, this undermines social trust and cohesion,” she said.
“It is important that the social infrastructure of disadvantaged communities is supported, for example, through community development programmes and investment in civic amenities that promote social contact.”
Community Foundation Ireland chief executive Denise Charlton said the challenges identified in the research reflect “the reality many face on the ground every day and highlights the importance of policy decisions which promote inclusion and equality for all”.
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