Mr. Bertrand MaÌtre:

I have those numbers. Based on the latest CSO release, based on the SILC survey for 2024, the poverty rate for children in 2024 was 15%. This is the equivalent of 185,000 children in Ireland being below the poverty line. When we look at the measure of deprivation Dr. Doorley mentioned earlier, namely, a household lacking basic necessities, the deprivation rate for children is just above 21%. This represents 256,000 children in Ireland living in households unable to afford the basic necessities. In terms of consistent poverty - the overlap between being below the poverty line and experiencing basic deprivation - 8.5% of children are living in consistent poverty, or just over 100,000 children. Quite a large number of children are living in those conditions.

Also mentioned earlier was the increase between 2023 and 2024 in consistent poverty. The increase saw the total go from 58,000 children to more than 100,000 children. It was a very large increase. We do not know exactly what is behind the increase. We will have to wait to see with next year's survey if this was just a peak and it will have gone down. Additionally, very often there are some people living just above the poverty line who are deprived. If there is any change in their household income, then they fall into consistent poverty. Those households that were just above the poverty line and then fell into consistent poverty could be another aspect of the situation too.