The Government's lack of action in addressing poverty had ensured that it had continued to grow, particularly among elderly and disabled people, the Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) has said.
A new policy briefing published by the CORI Justice Commission stated that despite huge economic growth, job creation and dramatic decreases in unemployment, the numbers living in relative income poverty were not being reduced.
The inaction in addressing poverty in a sustained, effective and meaningful way was one of the major failures of governments over the past decade, the briefing stated.
The director of the CORI Justice Commission, Father Seán Healy, said: "The persistence of poverty in a land of plenty is totally unacceptable and its elimination should be top of the Government's agenda as it plans its priorities for the period ahead."
The document said that this was a critical time. Sustained economic growth had not delivered a fairer society. Significant inequalities continued to exist.
The document called for action on many fronts, ranging from healthcare and education to accommodation and employment.
CORI also supported the call for a new national fairness strategy, the document said. "Ireland has had a National Anti-Poverty Strategy since 1997. To date, it has not reduced poverty. In fact, the figures show that relative income poverty has grown over the past decade," it said.
A national fairness strategy should incorporate a values framework and significant public consultation to provide the basis for a sustained attack on inequalities in the coming decades, the briefing said.
The document showed that in 2004 the poverty line was €180.30 a week for a single person, or €9,375 a year. For a couple with two children, the poverty line was €418.30 a week or €21,751.80 a year.
According to 2001 figures, over 700,000 people were living in poverty, of whom a quarter of a million were children.
In 1994, 5.9 percent of older people were living in relative income poverty.
This had increased to 44.1 per cent in 2001. A similar trend could be seen among people who had a disability. In 1994, 29.5 per cent of this group was in poverty. This had risen to 66.5 per cent in 2001.