Christmas spirit broken for 90,000 children below the poverty line

THE Celtic Tiger has teeth still, if the crowds on Grafton Street and Henry Street, in Dublin, are a measure.

The shops are packed from morning until night several of the larger stores opened yesterday morning and won't close again until Christmas eve. Whatever your heart desires is waiting for you. For the next ten days, most people I know are planning to spend, spend, spend.

But not everyone. Barnardo's, the leading children's charity, says there are 90,000 Irish children for whom Christmas has no meaning. The ESRI reported last week that the number of people on incomes of less than 50%, 60% and 70% of median income has continued to increase. Median income is the level enjoyed by half the population and there are people living on half that figure.