Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

756. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the indicators and timelines being used to measure progress against the reduction of housing-cost-adjusted child poverty rates; and when her Department will next report such progress to the Houses of the Oireachtas. [48420/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Official poverty data is published annually by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC).

This is an annual survey of approximately 5,000 households (or approximately 12,000 individuals) carried out by the CSO. The survey collects information on the income and living conditions of different households in Ireland, in order to derive indicators on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion.

This CSO survey is part of a wider European Union survey (EU SILC) carried out in every EU country under EU legislation and commenced in Ireland in June 2003.

The CSO 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. My Department will therefore be measuring progress against the new Child Poverty Target when the latest CSO SILC data is published each year.

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.

My Department is considering the use of this data as an indicator to be included in the new Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026–2030, which is being currently developed. This strategy is due to be published in the first half of 2026.