Poverty figures 'show need for continuing govt action'

The Conference of Religious in Ireland has said today's poverty figures from the Central Statistics Office highlight the need for continuing government action in the area.

The CSO said 19.4% of the population was living in households with incomes less than 60% of the national average last year, down slightly from 19.7% in 2003.

CORI spokesman Fr Sean Healy said the figures highlighted the need for further increases in social welfare rates, as well as tax measures to help people on low pay.

"About 25% of all those at risk of poverty today are in households headed by somebody with a low-paid job and what needs to be done there is to make tax credits refundable so that people will benefit from the full value of their tax credit, which they don't do at the moment," he said.