The Irish Times view on cost-of-living increases: children are bearing the brunt
A study compiled by the
St Vincent de Paul
found that many families have been left struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the rise in the cost of everyday goods and services.
The income of a one-parent household which is dependent on social welfare supports – with a primary and second-level school-going child – only covers 82 per cent of their minimum needs as defined by the study. Many low-income families are dependent on in-work supports such as housing and childcare payments, even though family members are in employment.
Even in those households deemed above the poverty line – defined as having a disposable income above 60 per cent of the median – many children experienced deprivation, such as not having a warm home or a second pair of sturdy shoes. Almost one in five children fit into this category, says the Economic & Social Research Institute, which identifies housing costs, disability and lone parenting as drivers of what they term enforced deprivation.
READ MORE
A report from the
Children's Rights Alliance
finds that the number of children in consistent poverty in Ireland had increased by more than 45,000 in one year, bringing the total to over 100,000. Children are the most likely group in society to experience poverty, according to the alliance. The issue has also come to the attention of the
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
which has written to primary and post-primary schools, outlining a series of recommendations aimed at cutting back-to-school costs. The CCPC cites research by the Irish League of Credit Unions that found two-thirds of families see back to school costs to be a significant burden.
The publication of these reports and studies on the cost of living and its impact on child poverty comes as the Government kicked off the Budget 2026 process this week at the National Economic Dialogue. It is probably not entirely coincidental.
The issue is clearly on the Government's radar with the
Taoiseach telling the dialogue
meeting he has asked his Ministers to come up with measures that 'will really make the difference to the most vulnerable families and children'. The Taoiseach has not ruled out the introduction of a second tier of child benefit payments –
a measure supported by ESRI research
– in the budget. He has cautioned that it is important to first determine if the current spike in child poverty is a temporary blip after a period of progress. That would seem most unlikely given the evidence to hand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 21st: On what political polls reveal, defending bedsits, and waking up to woke
Sir, – According to your recent poll, 25 per cent of voters are undecided, and 20 per cent of those who did express a preference said they would vote for an Independent candidate. Doing the maths, this means that a total of 40 per cent of the electorate do not support any of the nine political parties in the Oireachtas. Is this a record for your series of polls? This suggests a truly extraordinary level of dissatisfaction with both the two main parties and with the various parties of the left, and that an unhealthy proportion of the electorate feel disconnected from our political presents significant dangers. READ MORE First, every single country in Europe – without exception – has at least one new party on the populist right which emerged over the last two decades, capitalising on a similar disconnect among voters, and which now enjoys at least 25 per cent of the vote. Do we think that Ireland is immune from this trend? All that's needed is the emergence of a party with credible leadership which has broad appeal to urban and rural voters. Second, the ground which any new party might seize is that same ground on the centre right which has been completely abandoned by both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over the last decade, and whose combined total support continues to plumb historic depths in your opinion polls as a result. If one or both of these parties doesn't return to this political ground, then they may find – as establishment parties have in Europe – that they will have the electoral rug taken out from under them. – Yours, etc, BARRY WALSH, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Bishop Eamonn Casey removal Sir, – Credit to the Galway diocese for taking the absolutely correct decision in removing Bishop Eamonn Casey's remains from the crypt in Galway Cathedral. I was sure they would play the long game and hope it would all be forgotten about. Well done to the decision makers. – Yours, etc, JOE HARVEY, Glenageary, Dublin. Medical consultation fees Sir, – Regarding Niall H Doyle's letter about a GP consultation fee hike to €90 (July18th), my GP is also in Rathfarnham and charges a far more reasonable ¤60. I'm now alarmed that he may be an Irish Times reader! – Yours, etc, ANNETTE QUINN, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16. Sir, – Your writer to The Irish Times asks if €90 is a record for a GP consultation fee. I can confirm an extraordinary fee paid to a local chiropodist – €90 some months ago. When I stated the fee was more than I would pay to my doctor, the chiropodist reply was that she was the senior chiropodist. I considered the charge was outrageous and did not avail of the service again. – Yours, etc, MARY McCARTHY, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Local property tax increases Sir, – I was disappointed to read 'T he Irish Times view on the local property tax ,' July 15th. The editorial took a clear stance that 'homeowners can pay a bit more' and criticised the decision taken by myself and my colleagues on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to maintain the 15 per cent reduction in the LPT rate for next year. Surprisingly, the editorial made no reference to the revaluation of properties for LPT purposes that will take place in November. This revaluation, taking into account the significant property price increases since 2021, will result in all homeowners paying a bit more in 2026. It is estimated that this revaluation will see homeowners in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown contribute an extra €10.85 million to next year's council budget. This will facilitate significant expansion of the council's budget for 2026, well ahead of inflation. In this context, I do not see how we could justify imposing further tax increases on local homeowners. – Yours, etc, CLLR EOIN O'DRISCOLL (FG), Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin. Minding children Sir, – I refer to your letter from Siobhán McDermott regarding long summer holidays (July 19th). Teachers are educators, not childcare providers. Schools are educational establishments, they do not exist to mind children while parents work. Deciding to have children means that you take responsibility for them and care for them regardless of how inconvenient that might be for your working life. Let's look at the workplace. – Yours, etc, KATHY CURZON, Co Cork. Sir, – To all those young parents sitting in cafes and parks busy on their phones and devices while ignoring their toddlers and children, I suggest a listen to the song Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin would be useful. He describes so well how; fast forward 10 or 15 years, your children may be less interested in chatting to you than they are now. Enjoy it while you can. – Yours, etc, DAVID S KELLY, Dublin 16. Waking up to woke Sir, – As a plus -70 year-old grandfather I've only become aware of the word 'woke' lately. I hear it being used as a term of derision by various individuals on radio and social media. It seems to this old geezer that to have empathy with people who are suffering or downtrodden is a symptom of wokeness. To be accepting of LGBTQ folk and other ethnicities is also a sign that you might be inclined to be woke. To be on the side of the women and children in Palestine would definitely qualify you. I personally tick a lot of the boxes to be labelled a woke oul fella. And I'm'm proud of it. – Yours, etc, PAT BURKE WALSH, Ballymoney, Co Wexford. In defence of bedsits Sir, – Many years ago, I spent some quality time in a bedsit in Clontarf in Dublin. It was on the third floor of a large period house shared with four other bedsits on the same floor. In modern day estate agent parlance, it would be described as comfortable, in a highly sought after area, good value for money in the current challenging rental market, ergonomically compact with modern conveniences and nice sea views. In reality, the single bed was jammed up against the wall and took up over 75 per cent of the room. The wardrobe consisted of a length of coarse twine hovering over the bed, one end tied to the curtain rail and the other attached to a six-inch masonry nail partially hammered into the door frame. The cooking facilities included a two-ring camping gas stove balanced precariously on an orange box advertising sun-kissed oranges from Seville. There was a small corner sink by the window. The sea could be viewed by exiting the building and walking down the road towards Dublin Bay. Crucially, the main convenience, the toilet, was located on the landing and shared by all and sundry, often resulting in slow moving queues, particularly bothersome when nature was pressing, Of course, a bedsit wouldn't be a bedsit without at least a couple of resident mice, but I had at least four. We coexisted for the while as I didn't bother them and they didn't bother me. The real convenience, not to be underestimated, was that, such was the proximity to everything, all the conveniences could be operated without getting out of bed in the morning, like putting on the kettle, brushing your teeth and turning on the cooker with your big toe to make the porridge, thus gaining an extra 10 minutes shut eye before going to work. In retrospect, the experience wasn't all bad, but like the banks and the financial system and everything else at the time, the much-maligned bedsit suffered from light touch or, more accurately, zero regulation, but surely the resurrection of the modest bedsit could make substantial inroads into the current homeless and housing problems. – Yours, etc, JOHN LEAHY, Wilton Road, Cork. Revenue hours Sir, – The contact hours for Irish revenue are 9.3 0am–4.30pm. If only the rest of the working population had these terms of employment. – Yours, etc, MARY GARDINER, Co Wicklow In praise of Fintan Sir, – Fintan O'Toole's moving and disturbing account of the 'non-resting place' at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby home in Tuam (July 15th) is typical of his eloquence, knowledge, research and insight. I am inclined to say that there is really no one in my own country quite his match – or I would be if we didn't have the good fortune of being able to read him regularly in The New York Review of Books. – Yours, etc, VICTOR LUFTIG, Virginia, United States. Garda check point Sir, – I was startled today by the headline, ' Garda revokes more that 900 speed camera fines on stretch of N25 due to human error, ' (July 18th). To my great relief, the headline did not reflect the article's content. A single garda had not taken unilateral action to cancel hundreds of fines. It was actually the organisation – An Garda Síochána – which had taken action. What a relief! – Yours, etc, S NESTOR, Co Louth. Carry on writing Sir, – Little did I realise that a casual decision to write to another national newspaper would trigger a flurry of correspondence about how to be published in this newspaper. I can assure you and your readers that it was not a migration, merely akin to a midweek break. I decided to unmask myself as to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, there is only one thing worse than being written about and that is to be written about anonymously. – Yours, etc, DAVID LOUGHLIN, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Sir, – As regular letter writers to The Irish Times have attested, most letters don't get published. The limited available space cannot accommodate all the submissions. The editor is left with the difficult job of choosing only a few. Far from this being seen as a problem, most letter writers don't seem to mind, and many probably enjoy that it is difficult, as it then seems more of an achievement if a letter does get in. Overall, this tried and tested system of selection and curation, used by many newspapers and magazines, works well. The typical letters page contains a diverse range of opinions, politely conducted arguments, praise and dispraise of people for their actions or views, and plenty of good-natured debate and disagreement. The same cannot always be said of forums where everything gets published. – Yours, etc, COLIN WALSH, Templeogue, Dublin 6W. Sir, – I share the frustration of your many letter writers whose efforts are not acknowledged in your pages. I too have written innumerable letters . . . to the Ephesians, Thessalonians, Corinthians, Timothy et al. To date I have not received one reply. –Yours, etc, (Paul) TOM McGRATH, Ashford, Co Wicklow. Sir, – I didn't realise that the easiest way to get a letter published is to write one about a letter being published. May I have one too? – Yours, etc, DR MARIA O'BRIEN, Bayside, Dublin.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
SYS Financial acquires Cork-based Qifa Financial Planners and Wicklow firm Efficient Financial
Advisory firm SYS Financial has acquired Co Cork financial planning practice Qifa Financial Planners and Wicklow-based Efficient Financial, bringing overall assets under management to €650m. Qifa Financial Planners is based in Mallow with clients right across Ireland. The firm was founded by current managing director, Sean Lynch, in 2006 and manages €76m in client assets. Efficient Financial was established in Arklow by Henry Crummy in 1976 and has since been succeeded by his sons, Harry and Derek. The firm manages €50m in client assets. Mr Lynch and Harry Crummy will move into senior roles at SYS. 'Joining SYS Financial marks an exciting new chapter for Qifa Financial Planners, our team, and our clients,' said Mr Lynch. With further acquisitions planned for 2025, SYS Financial expects to grow its assets under management to over €1bn by the end of the year. 'This is a landmark moment for SYS Financial as we welcome two highly respected firms into the group. Qifa Financial Planners and Efficient Financial bring outstanding reputations, deep client relationships, and decades of expertise to the table. These acquisitions strengthen our presence in key regional markets and reinforce our ambition to be the leading provider of client-focused financial planning in Ireland,' said SYS Financial chief executive Tony Delaney. Efficient Financial director Harry Crummy said joining SYS Financial will give the firm access to 'enhanced resources, cutting-edge technology, and broader expertise'. Founded in 2015, SYS Financial is headquartered in Nenagh and has offices nationally including in Cork, Dublin, and Waterford, offering financial solutions for employers, individuals, families, and private wealth clients. The company has a client list of more than 8,000. In March 2023, SYS acquired Dublin-based Donald P McKenna & Associates for an undisclosed sum, while May 2024 SYS acquired Cork-based Global Life & Finance, which was founded in 2000 by Seamus Fox. Last month, SYS launched an expanded private health insurance advisory service, focusing on businesses amid rising health insurance premiums.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Rory did win. He brought the Open to Portrush': Standing ovation for local hero McIlroy
All week, all month, all year, Portrush has talked about only one winner of the Open : Rory McIlroy . Though it was not to be for McIlroy, who tied for seventh place – the claret jug went to the world number one Scottie Scheffler – in the end, nobody really minded. As McIlroy walked on to the 18th hole in the Sunday evening sun, he did so to a standing ovation; there were Irish flags, Northern Irish flags, and everywhere, people were on their feet, showing their appreciation for their hero by applauding him home. 'None of us could live with what he [Scheffler] had this week,' McIlroy told the media afterwards, 'but for me, to be in front of everyone here at home and to get that reception up the last, absolutely incredible. I'll remember that for a long time.' READ MORE [ The Open Day Four: Scottie Scheffler cruises to victory at Royal Portrush - as it happened ] 'Rory did win,' said Brian McDermott, from Moville, Co Donegal. 'He brought the Open to Portrush. The Open would not be here without him, so that is a win. 'Six years ago, he missed the cut, so to get him, and to watch him, and to see him finish – that is a win. Brian McDermott, from Moville, Co Donegal at the Open Championship, Portrush. Photograph: Freya McClements 'Seeing him come into the 18th, and everybody in that grandstand get up and applaud him – that is a win, for Ireland and for Rory McIlroy.' There have been many winners from this Open; add to that list Royal Portrush Golf Club, the town of Portrush, and Northern Ireland. Though official figures are yet to follow, the predictions themselves were impressive: an economic boost to Northern Ireland of £213 million just from Open week alone. Yet this does not include the impact that will continue to be felt for a long after the Open has packed up and left town. Just one example is the announcement by the Galgorm hotel group that it is to spend more than £30 million creating a new golf course at Bellarena, Co Derry – around half an hour from Royal Portrush – an investment which it said will 'help to cement the region's reputation as a world-class golfing destination'. At Royal Portrush, 'I reckon it's going to take us into the top 10 in the world now in the rankings,' said the club's ladies captain, Naoimh Quigg, while there is also the prospect of the first Open ever to be held south of the Border, potentially through the inclusion of Portmarnock in Co Dublin on the Open roster. 'They're already talking about Portmarnock because we've been so successful here, and that conversation down South, moving it out of the UK, that's positive, and it's going to be great for the South, for Dublin, for the whole of the country,' she said. As the spectators drift towards the exits, there is the hope that the Open will also come back to the north coast; in the clubhouse, 'we're looking forward to getting back to what we do best, which is being Royal Portrush Golf Club again, and getting to play our course. 'Personally, I would love to see a world class women's event here, either the AIG Women's Open or the Curtis Cup ... to showcase a world class women's event in this country would be, I think, the next positive move for this club to work towards,' said Quigg. 'For a small country to be able to achieve what we've achieved, and as a town, for us to host this and put this on – I was thinking, if this does come back, it's scary to think how big we could go.' The anticipation has begun – and maybe, next time, McIlroy might lift that claret jug after all.
