Ireland faces what might be called a wealth paradox. More people are at work than ever in the Republic, average earnings continue to increase and the State’s economy is growing at a healthy rate.
Yet, according to the CSO, the number of people at risk of poverty increased in 2024 to 11.7 per cent of the population, up from 10.6 per cent in 2023.
Not alone does that place increased pressure on already hard-pressed charities but the fact that inflation is back, up at 2.9 per cent year on year in October, is only adding to the overall strain.
Anyone can fall into poverty but the CSO statistics show that the lower your level of education, the more at risk of it you are, which is why a stable childhood and schooling is so important to future wellbeing.
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It’s why children’s charity Barnardos runs its Gifts for Good campaign each year, asking individuals, schools and workplaces to give a gift that supports children in need this Christmas.
Each gift card given provides basics such as warm pyjamas, hygiene packs, schoolbooks and nutritious meals to a child living in poverty, and a parent struggling to provide.
The charity delivers services that can help transform the lives of vulnerable children affected by adverse childhood experiences. It works with children to help build their resilience by focusing on their social, emotional, physical and educational development, and works with parents to strengthen their parenting skills, improving their relationship with their child and helping them to meet their child’s needs.
But with the number of people at risk of poverty increasing, demand for its help is growing.
“Increasing need is resulting in longer wait lists for more of our services,” says Stephen Moffatt, Barnardos’ national policy manager.
Often the children it works with are in homes that are already dealing with multiple issues, he explains. These can range from stress over substandard housing and worries about landlords to mental or physical health issues, addiction, parental overwhelm or interparental conflict.
One consequence of the housing crisis is that parents who don’t get on are forced to stay together, in what can be a toxic environment for children.
As well as providing practical supports, including vouchers, Barnardos works with families to help parents to develop better coping mechanisms and to regulate their behaviour in a way that puts the children first. It also links families with organisations that can further support them.
“It’s also about providing parenting support to someone who is constantly stressed and breaking down because they are just so financially stretched,” says Moffatt.
Unfortunately that includes the growing number of people in the State who are homeless, currently in excess of 16,600, according to the Department of Housing. Of those, some 5,200 are children.
But the official figures only count people using State-funded emergency homeless accommodation.
They don’t include those who are in domestic violence refuges, asylum seekers, people who are sleeping rough, or the many who are “hidden homeless” – staying with family or friends.
Focus Ireland, the charity founded 40 years ago by the recently deceased and much-loved social justice campaigner Sister Stan, works to help people to avoid homelessness, and to help those experiencing it to break out of it. It too is experiencing a significant rise in demand for services.
“Unfortunately homelessness has been on a dramatic increase,” says Amy Carr, the charity’s director of fundraising and marketing. “We’re so concerned about the trauma that happens to children at this very pivotal point in their lives, when they are learning and developing, that we have launched an advocacy campaign, No Child Without a Home.”
It shines a light on the way homelessness steals childhood, a day at a time, by disrupting a child’s friendships and schooling, harming their mental health, and potentially damaging their future.
“Demand for our services continues to grow. Homelessness in Ireland has reached record levels, and the people coming to us for help are facing increasingly complex challenges. Rising rents, lack of affordable housing and the wider cost-of-living environment all add pressure to families who are already struggling,” says Carr.
“For charities across the sector, this means doing more with the same or, in some cases, fewer resources. We see increasing need for prevention work, housing supports and crisis intervention. Our teams are working tirelessly across the country, but the strain on the sector is clear. Maintaining strong public support is therefore more important than ever.”
Focus Ireland’s main fundraising campaign is its Christmas Appeal.
“Christmas is when demand rises sharply. Families turn to us in greater numbers, the weather becomes harsher and many people find themselves in crisis. The Christmas Appeal provides the stability we need to respond quickly and ensure that no one is left without support at a time when home and security matter most,” says Carr.
The appeal helps to fund services across Ireland, from emergency accommodation, outreach and child support to long-term housing solutions that help people move on from homelessness for good.
“Giving remains strong so far this year, and people continue to show remarkable generosity, but we are seeing signs of increased caution,” Carr points out.
“Many donors are more mindful of their spending and are choosing their contributions carefully. Some are reducing the size of their gifts due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures.”
At the same time, demand for services continues to rise.
“These two trends together mean that every donation has even greater impact this year.”
