'People putting rent ahead of grocery spend' as 350,000 impacted by food poverty

Approximately 350,000 people are impacted by food poverty in Ireland.

The government has said "nobody should be living in food poverty" after a new study indicated it may be an issue for as much as 7% of the population.

The research, by Dr Michael Drew from the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice at University College Dublin, suggests that food poverty has been exacerbated by Covid-19, with the financial impact of the pandemic disproportionally affecting groups already at high risk, such as low-income families with children, lone parents, people with disabilities and renters.