Poverty warnings as economic impact of pandemic hits households

Child poverty will increase sharply unless there’s an economic recovery this year.
New ESRI research has looked at trends from the 2008 crash and the effect of the recent Covid-19 job losses and financial supports.
It’s predicting child poverty will rise from 16.6 percent at the beginning of this year to 21.1 percent by December – a 25% increase.
However it says an economic recover that would see between 61 and 82 percent of affected workers back working could limit that rise to 18 percent.
Meanwhile, the North West Regional President of the St Vincent de Paul Society is warning of a “tidal wave” of need in Donegal as the full impact of the pandemic hits households.