Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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754. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which current child poverty reduction targets are being aligned with housing-adjusted poverty measures; and the steps being taken to address the persistence of child poverty rates at recession-era levels when housing costs are taken into account. [48417/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Official poverty data is published annually by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). The SILC data includes a measurement of consistent poverty experienced by children, which encompasses households with children that are both at risk of poverty and experiencing deprivation, and which the recently announced new Child Poverty Target will be measured against.

In relation to housing specifically, since 2020, the CSO has reported the at risk of poverty rate before and after housing costs, including for children.

In relation to steps being taken to address the persistence of child poverty, the Government has been very clear that tackling child poverty is a priority for this Government and will be a key factor in framing next month’s Budget, as well as future Government priorities.

Given the complex and multi-faceted nature of child poverty, a whole of Government focus is essential to reduce child poverty and to meet our new Child Poverty Target of 3% or less child consistent poverty.

Until the release of the CSO SILC data in March 2025, child consistent poverty in Ireland had been on a downward trend, peaking in 2013 at 12.7% and falling to its lowest level in 2023 at 4.8%, before increasing significantly in 2024 to 8.5%.

While this latest data is based on 2023 income data and therefore does not reflect the Government's full response to child poverty in Budgets 2024 and 2025, I are determined to focus our efforts harder and deliver targeted cross-Government measures to support those children most in need.