Report highlights link between poverty and illness

Thousands of Irish people are dying early deaths every year because of their economic circumstances, according to a study by the Institute of Public Health and the Combat Poverty Agency.

The study says one quarter of people at risk of poverty in Ireland suffer from a chronic illness.

Elsewhere, it says almost half of unskilled workers in the North suffer from long-standing illnesses.

The Institute of Public Health says the figures show that officials on both sides of the border need to tackle poverty if they want to improve the overall health of the population.