One in five children in Ireland is living in poverty.
A new report from the ESRI shows children are at a higher risk of poverty than any other age group.
This report looked at material deprivation – which is where households are unable to afford two or more items from a list of 10 essentials.
This includes two pairs of shoes, a warm coat, new clothes, and a nutritious meal.
The report shows almost 230,000 children didn’t have some of these basic items last year, which is a rise of 2%.
The report also shows inflation has left average disposable income lower than it was two years ago.
ESRI researchers say the report shows there’s a strong argument for a two-tier child benefit structure, with more money for low-income families.
