Charities like Midwest Simon report record demand, while experts urge systemic reforms to tackle rising inequality and generational trauma
In Ireland, more than half a million people are living in poverty, struggling to afford the basics despite a slight easing in inflation. According to the Central Statistics Office, 10.6% of the population was at risk of poverty in 2023.
In 2022, 6,780 people were supported by the foodbank scheme by Mid West Simon. The charity cares for homeless people and people struggling to make ends meet.
Brian Hurley, their case manager, is seeing an increase in the number of people using their services: “We ran out of food for the last two months in a row, we had to turn down people because we didn’t have enough food.”
Most of it is funded by an EU scheme, so it is not even funded by the Irish government
He underlined that more people working full-time need the support of the foodbank, especially young teachers. He claims that the main danger around the issue of poverty is the lack of services people can afford to get out of the situation they are in.
He specifically criticised the lack of mental health services: “Most of these are generational trauma that you’re dealing with. So, to get them out, you need to handle the psychological issues that are holding them back.”
Susanne Rogers, from Social Justice Ireland, also criticised the lack of public services. She claimed that this creates a bigger gap between people from a higher social class, who can afford private services, and people from a lower social class, who cannot. “We need more services that are not free or low-cost,” she said-
Social Justice Ireland is advocating for the next government to address poverty effectively. They urge towards policy changes, improved social welfare, and accessible, affordable public services.