Barnardo's calls on Govt to increase incomes of families living in poverty

The children’s charity Barnardo’s has called on the Government to increase the family incomes of the one-in-nine children in Ireland living in consistent poverty.

Speaking in advance of the Department of Social and Family Affairs annual pre-budget meeting with the Community and Voluntary sector, Advocacy officer Nora Gibbons said: "We know that consistent poverty blights the lives of over 100,000 children in Ireland. It is the kind of poverty where children can go without a substantial meal for the whole day and then come home to a freezing house because the family cannot afford heating.