A ceremony in Dublin to mark the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty yesterday heard an emotional plea for the Government to do more to help children and young people in difficulty.
David Lynch and his partner Tina Kearney, who live with their four children in O'Devaney Gardens council estate on Dublin's North Circular Road, described how their family had faced and overcome significant challenges.
Mr Lynch said his family had been to "hell and back", including facing eviction from their council home when Ms Kearney's mother died.
But due to the support of local people and public representatives, they had successfully battled to keep their home.
Ms Kearney said she left school at 12, but had returned some years later to complete her Junior Certificate. She said she wanted her children to go to school and not to end up on drugs.
They called on the Government, which was represented by the Minister for the Environment John Gormley at yesterday's ceremony on Custom House Quay, to do a lot more for children and young people in places like O'Devaney Gardens.
This should include working with their families to find out what they need, they said.
The pair were among a group of individuals with first-hand experience of poverty who told those gathered about their individual circumstances. This included members of the Travelling community and a friend of a woman living in a direct provision hostel for asylum seekers.
Among the other guests at the ceremony at the Famine Memorial were Manuel Jordao, the UNHCR's representative in Ireland, and Cllr Ann Carter, deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Sixth-class boys from St. Laurence O'Toole National School on Dublin's North Wall also participated in the event by bringing along life-sized "silhouettes", highlighting their hopes for the eradication of poverty.
Yesterday's event, which coincided with similar events worldwide, was organised by the 17th October Coalition, which is made up of Irish anti-poverty groups.
The event was supported by the global Stand Up and Speak Out campaign and by Amnesty International. It concluded with a silent march along the quays and refreshments in Liberty Hall.