People facing further financial pressures in 2024, charities warn

'The gap between what they need and what they have is still growing'

Stephen Moffatt of Barnardos said certain groups of people will struggle to pay household charges: 'The regular worries about being able to pay the next bill that comes in hasn’t gone away.'

If 2022 was the year inflation skyrocketed and the cost-of-living became a full-blown crisis, 2023 was the year the problems may have “levelled out” but remained an ever-present worry for Irish households.

And, heading into Christmas, it’s that bill coming in January that means little respite for those struggling as uncertainty reigns for how things will be in 2024.