Thousands of Cork children trapped in poverty
Cork families currently face some of the highest childcare costs in Ireland with almost 7,000 children now trapped in constant poverty.
That’s according to a new child poverty monitor launched today by Irish charity, the Children’s Rights Alliance.
The report is the first in a series of reports to be published by the charity that will analyse the complexity of child poverty across the country.
Speaking at the launch of the monitor, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance said there is a “rising tide” of child poverty in Ireland.
“There are currently 6,969 children in Cork living in consistent poverty. That is roughly the entire population of Bandon, starved of the most basic needs for a decent standard of living. We know this is not right. What does this cost a child? Their education. Their aspirations. Their wellbeing. Will they ever reach their full potential?” said Ms Ward.
The Children’s Rights Alliance is now calling on the Government to establish a national child poverty unit that can be a driver for national policies and steer local action plans to address the levels of child poverty in Ireland.
Ms Ward said it costs an average of €204.36 for a week of childcare in Cork city and an average of €193.53 in Cork county, some of the highest rates in the country.
She said: “611 children and young people in Cork are waiting for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) appointment, representing 15% of the total waitlist figures in the country. Given the impact the pandemic has had on children and young people and the current rise in demand for youth mental health supports, this is of serious concern.”
On a more positive note, Ms Ward pointed out that there were 113 schools providing schools meals to young children in Cork during the 2021/2022 school year, 17 of which provided a hot meal.
Some of the key recommendations within the new report are:
- That the Government needs to extend the Hot School Meals Programme nationally
- That the recently announced increase in the Back to School allowance must be retained in 2022 and increased in 2023 in line with inflation
- That the Working Family Payment weekly work threshold be reduced from 19 hours to 15 hours for one parent families to ensure equality between different household types
- That free access to childcare for families on the lowest incomes be provided under the National Childcare Scheme for all families in receipt of the medical card.
The child poverty monitor also looks to the long-term recommendations needed to ensure that Government unlocks access to essential public services for the children and young people who need them most.
Ms Ward concluded: “We have reached an economic tipping point where more and more children and families are being pulled into poverty which warrants immediate action from Government. However, interim measures will not solve this alone. The weight of poverty is being passed from generation to generation. We need a national lead at the highest levels of Government that can drive the change that is needed.”