Dan Neville
Ceist:304 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of children in each health board area who are suffering from poverty. [18582/99]
Written Answers - Child Poverty Levels.
The Living in Ireland Survey is the Irish element of the European community household panel, and is carried out by the ESRI. This survey provides details of household incomes which are used to generate statistics on poverty, including child poverty. As the sample is representative of the national population – approximately 3000 households were surveyed in 1997 – the latest year for which figures are available – it is not possible to desegregate the figures on a regional basis in any meaningful way.
Analyses of the 1994 and 1997 surveys have been carried out by the ESRI to determine the numbers of people living in poverty on a national basis. In measuring poverty, the ESRI rely on a relative income measure combined with indicators of deprivation. Households whose income is below 50 per cent-60 per cent of average household disposable income and experiencing enforced deprivation are deemed to be in "consistent poverty".
The proportion of children living in consistent poverty in 1994 and 1997 (the latest figures available) are as follows:
|
1994 |
1997 |
|
|
50 per cent income line |
18 per cent |
15 per cent |
|
60 per cent income line |
23 per cent |
17 per cent |
The numbers of children living in households falling below the relative income lines (i.e. not taking deprivation indicators into account) are as follows:
|
1994 |
1997 |
|
|
50 per cent relative income line |
29 per cent |
24 per cent |
|
60 per cent relative income line |
40 per cent |
38 per cent |