Social Protection Committee to discuss ESRI’s Report on Poverty, Income Inequality and Living Standards in Ireland

The meeting will take place in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House between 09:30-12:30. 

Dr. Barra Roantree from the Department of Economics at Trinity College Dublin will appear at the meeting.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Denis Naughten said: “We look forward to discussing the fourth annual report on ‘Poverty, income inequality and living standards in Ireland’ published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in partnership with Community Foundation Ireland, using the latest data on household incomes from the Central Statistics Office.”

“The research which was published last month found that the recent rise in prices has left average disposable income lower than it was two years earlier across the population as a whole.  In addition, due to inflation, incomes have stayed the same for most people with little to no growth." 

“The sharp rise in prices following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine appears to be the main driver resulting in many families being unable to meet unplanned bills.”

“The research also highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis as material deprivation, which is a measure on the number of individuals unable to afford two or more items from a list of ten essentials, has risen from 17.7% in 2022 to 20.1% in 2023 for those aged under 18. This means 230,000 children are currently estimated to experience material deprivation: an increase of 82 children every day since 2022."

“The research also found that average disposable incomes are now higher for those aged over 65 than those aged under 65, which was achieved primarily through sustained increases in the State Pension.”

“These improvements in the material living standards of older adults highlight the importance of tax and welfare policy for determining living standards, especially for those at the lower end of overall household incomes.”

“We welcome the timely opportunity to discuss this report as Budget 2025 will be announced next week.” 

Watch the meeting live on www.oireachtas.ie or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.