Organisation: Barnardos

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Organisation: Barnardos

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Barnardos has been conducting its cost-of-living survey for four years. In 2022, just 2% of parents faced serious problems paying the rent. This is now at 7%. Picture: iStock</p>

news

'There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better'

Parents are borrowing money to buy food, cancelling medical insurance, and already 'dreading' next winter’s fuel bills

<p>Free schoolbooks have been rolled out at primary level, and the scheme is due to come into force at junior cycle level from this term — which aims to reduce the financial burden on parents.</p>

news

Rise in 'working poor' with 70% of secondary school parents worried about costs

<p>We need to get beyond the old image of cannabis as harmless, feelgood 'wacky baccy' and recognise the harms it can bring, not least in e-cigarettes and vapes. Picture: iStock</p>

ourview

Irish Examiner view: It's time to stop thinking of cannabis as a 'soft' drug

Budget calculation

news

70% of parents worry about not being able to provide daily essentials, report finds

SFergus Finlay: Simon, fixing the housing crisis is the only way to erode bitterness

Tots to Teens: Cork author helps ADHD kids explore difference in a fun and friendly way

parenting

Tots to Teens: Cork author helps ADHD kids explore difference in a fun and friendly way

Paul O'Connell: Sport allows children and parents to connect, to make friends

Paul O'Connell: Sport allows children and parents to connect, to make friends

Rugby legend Paul O’Connell tells Helen O’Callaghan why he is supporting Barnardos Big Active, a school-based initiative raising funds for vulnerable children and families

Sun, 07 Apr, 2024

Record level of children and adults in emergency accommodation

Record level of children and adults in emergency accommodation

The latest figures from the Department of Housing show that 9,671 adults and 4,170 children were in emergency accommodation in February

Thu, 28 Mar, 2024

Paul Hosford: As the RTÉ story rumbles on, the real world continues to turn

S Paul Hosford: As the RTÉ story rumbles on, the real world continues to turn

The RTÉ crisis raises big questions about governance. But it's health, housing, services, and the forthcoming referendums that are really engaging the public's attention

Sat, 02 Mar, 2024

Grocery shopping is in session

'It’s a constant stress': Government urged to act amid surge in families turning to food banks

Parents skipping meals, borrowing money to feed their children, and cutting spending on clothes to buy food, survey found

Tue, 27 Feb, 2024

Money in old hands

Government to crack down on non-compliance with child maintenance orders

One key recommendation would see deductions from the paying parent’s bank accounts, from government grants and subsidies and the recovery of arrears from tax refunds.

Mon, 08 Jan, 2024

Energy costs

People facing further financial pressures in 2024, charities warn

'The gap between what they need and what they have is still growing'

Fri, 22 Dec, 2023

Fergus Finlay: Anti-immigrant arson attack is not the Connemara I know and love

S Fergus Finlay: Anti-immigrant arson attack is not the Connemara I know and love

Connemara is one of the least likely places to ever be associated with the phrase ‘no room at the inn’, writes Fergus Finlay

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Cost Irish Budget 2024

Double child benefit for 650,000 families to be paid today

Parents will get €280 per child this month, instead of the usual €140

Tue, 05 Dec, 2023

Tots To Teens: Tips for the young reader and writer

Tots To Teens: Tips for the young reader and writer

Plus: minding young teeth amid trick-or-treat season, ways to discuss world events, and a poignant poem by Neil Gaiman

Tue, 24 Oct, 2023

Influential Irish-American philanthropist Chuck Feeney dies aged 92

Influential Irish-American philanthropist Chuck Feeney dies aged 92

In Ireland he is believed to have provided more than €1.3bn to a host of different projects and initiatives

Mon, 09 Oct, 2023

boy 12 years gaming

Children reveal level of headaches, tiredness, and bullying brought on by gaming

Barnardos calls on gaming companies to improve safety functions

Wed, 27 Sep, 2023

Inflation falling but consumers see spike in cost of going on summer holidays

Inflation falling but consumers see spike in cost of going on summer holidays

New figures from the CSO’s Consumer Price Index show that even between June and July, the price of package holidays rose by 14.8%

Thu, 10 Aug, 2023

GP surgery stock

Doctor shortage will 'undermine' GP visit card expansion

Also, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that there were thousands of people who are eligible for a means-tested GP card but who had not accessed one

Mon, 07 Aug, 2023

Republic of Ireland Squad Homecoming - FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

Letters to the Editor: The FAI's begrudging support for the women’s soccer team

Readers consider topics including the cost-of-living crisis, history, and sport — while one grieving parent writes that the Sale of Alcohol Bill will adversely affect Ireland's health and wellbeing

Mon, 07 Aug, 2023

British primary school children playing in the playground

Parents 'lying awake at night' worrying about back-to-school costs

Cost of a first year returning to school approaching €1,000

Wed, 02 Aug, 2023

Barnardos wants budget supports to give families a 'safety net'

Barnardos wants budget supports to give families a 'safety net'

Families are living without a “safety net” and have nowhere to go to quickly access funds if their income won’t cover the cost of energy and food, Barnardos has said, as it called for Government supports in the upcoming budget.

Tue, 11 Jul, 2023

Energy prices

Going to bed at 7pm to keep the lights off: damning report shows impact of cost-of living crisis

A new report by children's charity Barnardos highlights how parents are struggling to feed and clothe their children and keep them warm amid soaring prices

Wed, 24 May, 2023

Paul O’Connell: It’s OK to be vulnerable and make mistakes

Paul O’Connell: It’s OK to be vulnerable and make mistakes

'Very little keeps me awake at night. I’m lucky that way, I’ve never struggled to sleep. I would say the Friday night before the England game was the only real time I can remember in the last while that I struggled to sleep'

Sun, 02 Apr, 2023

Education Feature

Schools to get €96 per pupil under free schoolbooks scheme

Norma Foley spells out details of the €50m Budget 2023 scheme which will commence this September

Wed, 22 Mar, 2023

St Vincent De Paul energy poverty report

Companies must pass on falling energy prices to households, Government told

Report shows 450,000 people went without heating their homes

Thu, 02 Mar, 2023

Energy prices

'Fear of disconnection' sees parents switch to more expensive prepay energy meters

St Vincent de Paul conference heard of the devastating impact of soaring energy costs on households across the country, with hundreds of thousands forced to go without heating over the last year

Wed, 01 Mar, 2023

More than 89,000 children living in 'consistent' poverty in 2022

More than 89,000 children living in 'consistent' poverty in 2022

Almost half of all households with one adult with children under age 18 are living in deprivation

Thu, 23 Feb, 2023

British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin

Cost-of-living measures will target those on low incomes, says Micheál Martin

However, as inflation is now 'trending down', that will be factored in when measures are being decided

Thu, 16 Feb, 2023

girl eating yogurt

One third of parents skip meals to ensure their children are fed

Barnardos' figures show that surging grocery prices mean families are now spending more on food but getting less

Wed, 08 Feb, 2023

Sony PlayStation 5 console and games

Parents turning to charities for basics amid pressure for costly Christmas presents for children

Charities say families are taking out loans over a 12-month period to pay for Christmas – clearing the loan just before having to start a new one for the following Christmas

Tue, 20 Dec, 2022

More than 1,000 Tusla referrals from domestic violence centres in first half of 2022

More than 1,000 Tusla referrals from domestic violence centres in first half of 2022

Charities and children's organisations stress the need for greater support for children involved in domestic violence and abuse, who are 'victims in their own right'

Wed, 30 Nov, 2022

Point of view of woman using shopping list in grocery store

'Big shop’ shock as rising grocery prices start to bite

After a long era of low inflation, Irish people are once again feeling the impact of soaring food prices

Sat, 15 Oct, 2022

Internet troll sending mean comment to picture on an imaginary social media website with smartphone.

Majority of eight to 12-year-olds would not tell their parents they are being cyberbullied, study finds

Barnardos survey found 53% of eight-12-year-olds have been cyberbullied, 62% said they had seen others being cyberbullied, but 60% said they would never tell their parents

Thu, 29 Sep, 2022

Budget 2023: Free schoolbooks 'a step in the right direction'

Budget 2023: Free schoolbooks 'a step in the right direction'

Free schoolbooks for primary school children is a step in the right direction towards a “truly” free education system but other targeted measures announced today will also be crucial to helping parents.

Tue, 27 Sep, 2022

Charities call for spike in central funding as they face battle to survive

Charities call for spike in central funding as they face battle to survive

Call for 10% or €100m increase in funding to organisations that provide Section 39 services, funded by the State and delivered by charities

Thu, 15 Sep, 2022

ENOCH BURKE;

Fergus Finlay: Queen's death and jailing of Enoch Burke reveals worst of Twitter

The fact is that social media — and especially Twitter — can’t deal with big stuff

Tue, 13 Sep, 2022

One quarter of charity's clients are working but homeless

One quarter of charity's clients are working but homeless

Ms Santoro said the clients who were working but homeless filled a variety of jobs in hospitality, construction and general operative posts

Sat, 10 Sep, 2022

young mum queries a bill on the phone .

Hardest-hit families at risk of homelessness, warns Barnardos

Charity forced to choose which families to assist when it comes to food or energy vouchers

Mon, 29 Aug, 2022

SPI report

Social welfare increase of €15 won't cover cost of living rise

Charities have called on the Government for a €20 increase in the face of hundreds of thousands of households facing a difficult winter

Fri, 12 Aug, 2022

Conservative leadership bid

Fergus Finlay: The UK is facing imminent disaster under their undesirable leaders

The UK is heading for an economic and social calamity not seen for 30 years or more, writes Fergus Finlay

Tue, 09 Aug, 2022

British primary school children playing in the playground

Two thirds of back-to-school clothing and shoe allowance applications not yet processed

The number of new applications this year so far is 39,500, with the application process open until September 30

Sat, 06 Aug, 2022

Back-To-School survey: 'It doesn't feel like we're thriving, it feels like we're surviving'

Back-To-School survey: 'It doesn't feel like we're thriving, it feels like we're surviving'

One parent told Barnardos Back-To-School survey: “We should not be relying on money from parents for the school to be able to merely function."

Tue, 26 Jul, 2022

Some parents missing meals to cover back-to-school costs, Barnardos survey finds

Some parents missing meals to cover back-to-school costs, Barnardos survey finds

Parents 'ashamed' and 'degraded' at being unable to meet basic costs for children returning to school

Tue, 26 Jul, 2022

expensive to heat

Cost-of-living crisis drives increase in demand for additional needs payments

Almost €17m has been paid out by the State for people who need help with fuel, utility bills and other matters

Fri, 08 Jul, 2022

Energy prices

St Vincent de Paul: Working families feel ashamed asking for help with bills

Last year, St Vincent de Paul said it received 190,000 calls from members of the public, a record number they expect to see broken again this year

Sun, 03 Jul, 2022

Silhouette and shadow of girl walking down the street. Female legs on sidewalk, hurrying woman in autumn coat, concept of loneli

Children wearing oversized shoes and pyjamas in the daytime as parents cut costs

Barnardos says families having to use child benefit to pay for electricity and heating, rather than on key clothing for their children

Mon, 27 Jun, 2022

Fergus Finlay: It’s not a cost of living crisis — we’re in the early stages of a huge battle

Fergus Finlay: It’s not a cost of living crisis — we’re in the early stages of a huge battle

Government needs to bring us together, or the consequences will be devastating

Tue, 14 Jun, 2022

Barnardos fundraiser more important than ever as families going without essentials

Barnardos fundraiser more important than ever as families going without essentials

'When it’s a choice between keeping the electricity topped up or going for medical attention, that’s worrying'

Tue, 07 Jun, 2022

Barnardos calls on Government to provide hardship fund for children living in poverty

Barnardos calls on Government to provide hardship fund for children living in poverty

The children's charity says more than 60% of families are now going without food to make ends meet

Thu, 02 Jun, 2022