Offaly man 'heartbroken and furious' at number of children living in poverty

A CLARA native, who works for Third World aid agency Self-Help Africa, has spoken out on the rise in the number of children living in poverty.

Ronan Scully – who is a weekly columnist with the Tullamore Tribune and Midland Tribune – penned a letter to the Editor of the Tullamore Tribune outlining his fury at the revelations.

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Editor,

The recent revelations from the Children's Rights Alliance’s Child Poverty Monitor have left me heartbroken and furious. In the last year, the number of children living in consistent poverty in Ireland rose by over 45,000, totaling nearly 103,000 children. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a national shame. It reflects political choices, public apathy, and systems that have failed our most vulnerable members, our children.

Poverty is not inevitable. It is a result of policy decisions that often prioritize economic growth over human dignity. Today, children make up nearly 40% of those living in consistent poverty. Tens of thousands are going to bed hungry, living in unsuitable housing, and missing out on the joys of childhood. In a resourceful and wealthy country like ours, this is unacceptable.

We’ve heard promises of free school books, hot meals, and GP care. While these are welcome, they are not enough. They are broad strokes, not targeted interventions. The housing crisis continues to push more children into emergency accommodation, with nearly 4,800 children homeless this year. Behind these numbers, another 230,000 live in material deprivation, forced into impossible choices: food or heat, rent or winter clothes. This crisis is particularly galling in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We know who is most affected: lone parents, children with disabilities, the Traveller community, and families fleeing war. Even those with full-time jobs are not safe from hardship.

This is not just a policy failure; it’s a moral failure. We must act now to protect these children’s futures. We need urgent investment in child welfare, housing, education, and social protection, rooted in dignity, not austerity. Above all, we need leadership that refuses to let even one child slip through the cracks.

I have spent nearly four decades working in developing countries, I've witnessed the harsh realities of poverty in places like the slums of Calcutta and famine-stricken regions of Africa. One story that haunts me is that of six-year-old Laltu, who was abandoned and left to die in a sewer. We managed to save him, but his story remains a constant reminder of the suffering many children endure. While Laltu's plight is extreme, we must not overlook the children in Ireland facing their own struggles with poverty. It raises a crucial question: where is our conscience? Are we willing to accept a society where children suffer while greed thrives? Our children are our most valuable treasure, and it’s time we act accordingly. For every Laltu, for every child in Ireland and around the world facing neglect, homelessness, and abandonment, we must strive to do better. Let’s come together to ensure that every child is given the chance they deserve.

Child poverty is a national emergency, yet we remain inert. There has been little meaningful investment in targeted support. Social services are understaffed, and hundreds of children in care lack assigned social workers. This is a failure of protection. When a child grows up without adequate food, shelter, or education, they are denied their right to a future. This is how generational poverty takes root. To every politician and leader with the power to act: I am asking you to do more. No more platitudes. No more delays. No more excuses. We must see child poverty not as an economic issue but as a moral crisis. The children of this country are our greatest treasure. They are not statistics; they are human beings with dreams and potential. They need us now, not next year.

The Monitor and recent research offer solutions: expanded school meal programs, targeted child benefit payments, and early intervention supports have proven success. But Government action has been too slow. It has been two years since the ESRI called for a second-tier child benefit payment, and it still hasn’t been delivered. The time for pilot schemes and well-intentioned promises is over. We know what works. What’s needed now is investment and political will. As Budget 2026 approaches, the clock is ticking. Let this be the year we do more than acknowledge the crisis. Let this be the year we act decisively to end it. Let us not be remembered as the generation that looked away. Let us be remembered as the one that found its voice and used it for our greatest treasure, our children.

Yours sincerely,

Ronan Scully,

Charlestown,

Clara,

Co. Offaly.

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