Barnardos responds to latest ESRI statistics: Too many children living in poverty – action needs to be taken by Government in Budget 2027

8th September 2026. Barnardos children’s charity welcomes the comments made by the Taoiseach last week that child poverty will be a key priority for Budget 2027. The statistics published today by the ESRI demonstrate that too many children are living in poverty and that measures, focused on the lowest income families, need to be introduced in Budget 27 in order to make progress towards the Government’s targets.

However, a budget prioritising child poverty needs to include more than targeted financial supports alone. If all children are going to be given ‘a real chance to reach their potential’, as the Taoiseach committed to, Budget 2027 needs to better ensure all children have a stable, predictable and nurturing family life in order to provide families the support they need to help their children achieve this potential.

Philip Watt, Interim CEO at Barnardos Ireland said: “This means timely provision of targeted intensive child and family support for individual families to address the current adversities they face. Barnardos knows from our work in communities all across Ireland a large proportion of children living in poverty also experience additional adversities including homelessness, domestic abuse, parental addiction and poor parental mental. These adversities, among others, significantly compromise parents’ capacity to provide stable, predictable and nurturing family life increasing the likelihood of poor outcomes for their children such as family breakdown, lifelong underachievement or worse outcomes of youth crime, poor mental health and adult addiction.

“Too many parents and families who are experiencing intergenerational poverty in disadvantaged communities seek support when problems start to emerge, but cannot access help in a timely way, due to waiting lists, inadequate or no provision in many communities, and inadequate funding.

“Too many children living in poverty and facing disadvantage are not benefitting from vital support which could make a lasting difference on their lives. Children and young people cannot afford to wait for their families to get timely support.  The Government needs to prioritise addressing this – because childhood lasts a lifetime.”