ESRI reports sharp fall in numbers at risk of poverty

The number of people vulnerable to poverty has fallen sharply as a result of Ireland's recent economic boom, according to the Government's Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The ESRI said groups particularly at risk, including the elderly and the unemployed, had seen their standards of living improve dramatically during the Celtic Tiger Years.

However, in a report published today, it said around 400,000 were still at a high risk of falling into poverty if the economy faltered.

The ESRI also said that, despite the improvements in living standards, the gap between the rich and poor had widened significantly between 1994 and 2001.