Ireland has failed its children, we must not fail them in the future

This week’s Unicef report reveals shocking and frankly shameful data for Ireland. We knew that during the recession the number of children living in poverty increased, but this report shows just how huge a step backwards we have taken.

Ireland’s children have lost a full decade of progress (only Greece is worse at 14 years).

The increase in the rate of children living in income poverty, from 18% in 2008 to 28.6% in 2012, puts Ireland in the bottom five worst countries. And tellingly, the family experience of poverty and poverty-related stress is also worse here than nearly everywhere else.