Children fare worst in crisis, says EU

Ireland has the highest proportion of children in jobless households in the EU, and they are threatened with a poverty-filled future as austerity damages their prospects, a report has said.

Falling into the poverty trap is easier in Ireland than in many other countries, and once in, the exit rate is very low, according to an analyses of the statistics. This situation existed before the crisis and has worsened.

While no country in Europe has a better record for making a difference with social transfers such as housing and children’s allowance, the best way out of the cycle is getting a job but, especially for a single parent, this is near impossible in Ireland.