Press release:
Wednesday, 22 February 2022
One Family – Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families has warned the rise in poverty rates in lone parent families show Government policies designed to tackle poverty are failing. The warning comes as the latest Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) published by the CSO confirms consistent poverty in one-parent families rose to 14.1% in 2022, almost three times the rate of the general population (5%). Deprivation in one-parent families remains unacceptably high with almost half (43.5%) of households with one adult with children under 18 years of age living in deprivation, this compares to 17.7% of people in two-parent households. The charity is calling on Government to urgently introduce targeted support for struggling one-parent families.
Karen Kiernan, CEO with One Family said, “It’s just not right in a country as wealthy as Ireland that almost half (43.5%) of one-parent families are living in deprivation, while a quarter (23.8%) are at risk of poverty and 14.1% of lone parents are living in consistent poverty. Behind these statistics are real children and families who are struggling to feed and house themselves. There is no let up for these families and while short-term measures keep the wolf from the door for a month or two, that wolf is lurking; these families need targeted long-term support to help them escape poverty.”
Niamh Kelly, Policy Manager with One Family said, “We have seen how a lack of effective policymaking and failure to target one-parent families by Government has resulted in the high levels of poverty and deprivation experienced by one-parent families. In both Budget 2023 and yesterday’s cost-of-living package the Government chose populist, once-off payments over much needed targeted, sustainable measures. As chair of the National One Parent Family Alliance (NOPFA), a group of ten organisations working together to reduce the high levels of poverty experienced by lone parents and their children, we have put forward evidenced based solutions and targeted measures which will reduce the high rates of poverty and deprivation to Government. We are deeply concerned about children in one parent families living in deprivation and we believe this needs to be recognised with cost-of-living measures that are targeted, not populist.”
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For Editors:
One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services.
These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. The askonefamily helpline can be contacted on 0818 66 22 12 or 01-6629212.
For further information visit: https://onefamily.ie/
Link to CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions statistics
Available for Interview
Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 086 850 9191
Further Information/Scheduling
Noel Sweeney, Communications and Events Manager | t: 085 7241294
