A new report published today by the Economic and Social Research Institute and co-authored by Trinity economist Dr Barra Roantree has shown that child poverty could be reduced by a quarter – equivalent to taking over 40,000 children out of poverty – by introducing a means-tested second-tier of child benefit. The research was funded by Community Foundation Ireland.
Such a reform – which would provide all households with children with a payment determined by their means and number of children – has been recommended by the Commission on Taxation and Welfare, the National Economic and Social Council and the Children’s Rights Alliance among others. The report estimates that introducing this payment would cost around €700 million per year, benefiting more than 100,000 households and reducing the share of children below the poverty line by a quarter.