Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, has said that the number of people struggling to make ends meet, and the sharp increase in the number of people living in enforced deprivation, is clear evidence of the government’s failure to help those most in need.

Teachta O’Reilly said:

“The Central Statistics Office (CSO) ‘Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC)’ is the official source of data on household and individual income, and it provides a number of key national poverty indicators, such as the at risk of poverty rate, the rate of enforced deprivation and the consistent poverty rate.

“Today, the CSO published their ‘SILC Enforced Deprivation 2022 Report’, and the data is incredibly worrying and an indictment of the government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis. 

“The report shows that almost half the population, 49.3 per cent, now have difficulty making ends meet, up over seven per cent on last year.

“In addition, nearly a fifth of the population, 876,000 people, are now living in enforced deprivation.

“The CSO data outlined how enforced deprivation has increased sharply to 17.1 per cent, up from 13.8 per cent in 2021. This is a staggering increase of over 100,000 people.

“Some of the most affected groups are one-adult households with children, those unable to work due health problems, and renters.

“The data from the CSO is clear evidence of the government’s failure to help those most in need in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.

“It is against the backdrop of those struggling to make ends meet and those in enforced deprivation that the government’s shortcomings should be viewed – a paltry 80 cent increase in the minimum wage, rents up 14% in the last quarter, 10,975 people homeless, workers pay being eroded by inflation, out of control energy and fuel prices, the list is endless.

“Halfway through the term of this government the CSO data captures what Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party have done for ordinary people – very, very little.”