Poorest children in North live in lower-income homes but less deprived than those in poverty in Republic – The Irish Times

A landmark study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) finds that the poorest children in Northern Ireland, while living in lower-income homes, are less deprived than children in poverty in the Republic due to better public services, more widely available benefits, and lower housing costs. The report, titled Child Poverty on the Island of Ireland, highlights the contrasting comparison of child poverty and material deprivation levels between the two jurisdictions, with income poverty higher in Northern Ireland and child deprivation higher in the Republic. Recommendations include uprating welfare benefits in line with inflation and implementing targeted child benefits for the most vulnerable children.

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