Poverty risk - State failing many on low incomes

Although the average annual income has risen dramatically in this country over the last 10 years, the number of people living on less than half that average income is well above the EU average.

This does not necessarily mean that those people are poor, but they are defined within the EU as being “at risk of poverty”.

Ireland, with 21%, has the highest percentage of population at risk of poverty of all EU member states. This is substantially higher than the EU average of 15%.