Two leading poverty charities have said that Ireland’s current measures of poverty do not adequately reflect children’s specific experience of poverty and deprivation. Following the publication of the joint “All You Need Is…” report, Barnardos and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) said it was important that children’s voices were included in the debate regarding what they need and what they have to go without due to lack of money. The report is based on research conducted by the Children’s Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin, involving 262 children aged 9-11 years and their parents.
Barnardos’ CEO, Fergus Finlay, said: “Children have spoken and what they are clearly saying to us is that poverty and deprivation mean different things to children than they do to adults. It is vital that we listen to children’s voices. If we don’t hear what they say about their experiences of poverty, then we can’t find ways to limit the impact of poverty on young lives. Every day, both Barnardos and SVP see that impact erode childhoods and place big burdens on small shoulders. We must learn from this research and review how we measure and think about child poverty in Ireland.”
The report demonstrates that children very clearly understand what is meant by necessities as there was strong consensus between children and parents about which items were essential for children. The 12 item child-specific deprivation index is very child centred and has a focus on participation. The items in the index capture the voice of the child and highlight what children deem to be essential to guarantee an acceptable standard of living during childhood. The indicators are:
- Three balanced meals each day with fruit / vegetables and meat / fish
- Enough of the right clothes for different seasons, e.g. a coat to keep warm and dry in winter
- Separate bed and bedding of their own
- Their own books for reading for fun
- Food and drinks for friends when they call over to play
- Own money for school activities or days out
- A family holiday once a year (can be in Ireland or abroad)
- Day out with family at least twice a year (e.g. go to beach, fun fair, leisure centres)
- Visit to a restaurant for a family meal at least twice a year
- A bank, post office or Credit Union account to save money
- Shops close to home (e.g. food shops, clothes shops or chemist)
- A trip to the library
Director of the Children’s Research Centre, Professor Sheila Greene, said: “The survey indicates that child and household deprivation are not one and the same phenomenon and that the experiences of adults and children within a family can vary. It is crucial that both the measures we use and our responses to child poverty take into account the complexities that this implies.”
Head of Social Justice and Policy at SVP, John-Mark McCafferty, said: “What these findings show is that deprivation and experiences of poverty can be highly complex and that many factors can influence children’s experience of poverty. It may be that families at risk of poverty, i.e. those struggling on low incomes but not in receipt of State supports do not have any buffer to protect their children from the impact of deprivation. At the same time, other families may be making huge personal sacrifices to ensure children don’t go without. Whatever the individual circumstances in a family, what is clear is that poverty needs a holistic response with a variety of elements including both service provision and income supports. Despite the recession Ireland is still a first world country. There is no excuse for leaving thousands of children and families on the knife edge of existence, struggling to pay for basics such as food, heating and education costs.”