Understanding Childhood Deprivation in Ireland

In Ireland, as in many European countries, the rate of poverty and deprivation is higher for children than it is for adults. This is important, not only because of a concern with the well-being of children but also because childhood deprivation can have long-term negative consequences that persist into adulthood. This report examines childhood deprivation in Ireland in 2009 in the context of this concern for the current well-being of children and their future prospects. The goal of this report is to address five questions: 1. How much child-specific deprivation is there in Ireland and what form does it take? 2. What are the main risk factors for child-specific deprivation? 3. How well do the national measures of basic deprivation and consistent poverty identify children who are deprived? 4. How do the risk factors for child-specific deprivation differ from the risk factors for basic household-level deprivation? 5. What are the implications for policy?