1 in seven Children in Ireland will go to bed hungry tonight

**Block G Raptor** · 14/03/2006, 7:33 PM

I was shocked to see this on a billboard in the city center today appealing for people to sign the barnardo's end child poverty petitionhttp://www.barnardos.ie/advochildpoverty.htm.

(Thats 120,136 children living below the poverty line (REF)http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/referen...ei/popula.html)

surely in the 21st century in a country with one of the fastest growing economies and a government that has promised to eradicate child poverty by 2007 this is an absolute disgrace!
I signed the petition today and received replies from 2 T.D.'s from a "Minority" party

and a prominent member of the opposition! not a whisper from the government

**hamish** · 14/03/2006, 8:28 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

I was shocked to see this on a billboard in the city center today appealing for people to sign the barnardo's end child poverty petitionhttp://www.barnardos.ie/advochildpoverty.htm.

(Thats 120,136 children living below the poverty line (REF)http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/referen...ei/popula.html)

surely in the 21st century in a country with one of the fastest growing economies and a government that has promised to eradicate child poverty by 2007 this is an absolute disgrace!
I signed the petition today and received replies from 2 T.D.'s from a "Minority" party

and a prominent member of the opposition! not a whisper from the government

Amazing that in rich countries like Ireland, US, UK and so on you have a growing underclass, as it's horribly called, including children of course.

**Block G Raptor** · 14/03/2006, 8:31 PM

Originally Posted by sirhamish

Amazing that in rich countries like Ireland, US, UK and so on you have a growing underclass, as it's horribly called, including children of course.

I havn't checked figures for other countries so I could be wrong but 1 in 7 struck me as shamefully high

**John83** · 14/03/2006, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

I havn't checked figures for other countries so I could be wrong but 1 in 7 struck me as shamefully high

Shamefully high? It strikes me as rubbish. Anyone care to back it up?

EDIT: Since when did "below the poverty line" and "go to bed hungry" mean the same thing? Shock tactics do nothing to help a cause.

**Risteard** · 14/03/2006, 11:41 PM

Celtic Tiger me hole.
Huge wealth divisions in Irish society. Lots of us are fecking loaded while others are surviving just as money making machines for the banks.

I think it proves why we need a regular turnover of government. Don't think SF or even Labour or the likes could maintain our economic growth like FF/PDs do but we need to address the huge imbalances in the country soon.
Don't think Harney and Bertie and co can help us there.

**Thunderblaster** · 14/03/2006, 11:48 PM

How can you compare child poverty in Ireland to child poverty in a Third World country? You cannot compare like with like in these instances. First World poverty may be the equivalent of a lower middle class in an impoverished African nation. Poverty has many definitions.

**MervilleUnited** · 15/03/2006, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

(Thats 120,136 children living below the poverty line (REF)http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/referen...ei/popula.html)

Believe it or not, 1 in 7 is most likely a low figure. The Priorty(!) of Drugs, Drink, Gambling etc DOES mean that kids go hungry. Its poverty caused by total lack of responibilty, and it is happening all over this country

And it does regularly reach african levels: Every try going from friday till monday without food, heat, or a wash? All for a friday night on the urine!

**Block G Raptor** · 15/03/2006, 8:44 AM

Originally Posted by MervilleUnited

Believe it or not, 1 in 7 is most likely a low figure. The Priorty(!) of Drugs, Drink, Gambling etc DOES mean that kids go hungry. Its poverty caused by total lack of responibilty, and it is happening all over this country

And it does regularly reach african levels: Every try going from friday till monday without food, heat, or a wash? All for a friday night on the urine!

Totally agree with you. I would say there are quite a few instances of parents squandering childrens allowance/social benefit on these vices
it doesn't mean that something cant be done about it. I think that the seven steps proposed by barnardo's are a start not the final solution to the problem
I dont want to go into all the education and rehabilitation issues but you get what I mean

Originally Posted by Thunderblaster

How can you compare child poverty in Ireland to child poverty in a Third World country? You cannot compare like with like in these instances. First World poverty may be the equivalent of a lower middle class in an impoverished African nation. Poverty has many definitions.

Where have I compareed Ireland to an African nation? the point is we are supposedly a rich country and kids are still going wiithout. Junkies and other addicts aside who would by choice see they're child go hungry. but hey were not as bad as ethiopia or sudan so lets pretend the problem doesn't exsist.

**pete** · 15/03/2006, 11:39 AM

Where do they get these figures? These are like those claims that 1m people or something are living below the poverty line. I've no doubt poverty exists in this country still but does anyone know what the poverty line is that they use for these figures?

**Block G Raptor** · 15/03/2006, 1:13 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Where do they get these figures? These are like those claims that 1m people or something are living below the poverty line. I've no doubt poverty exists in this country still but does anyone know what the poverty line is that they use for these figures?

Ok fair point it is difficult to define at what level someone is considered to be poverty stricken. I think these figures are based on criteria such as not having enough to provide adequate food and shelter for family etc.
its all well and good to debate what poverty is or is not but the issue remains this is a "first world country"and kids are going hungry 1child going hungry in any country is too much IMO

**Bald Student** · 15/03/2006, 1:16 PM

I saw a report a feek or so ago, which I can't find a link to, that said that one in seven children were either under-fed or under-nourished. If this is the same report then it includes kids who eat too many chips and other rubbish, which is a very different problem from going to bed hungry.

This reminds me of a report a few years ago that was reported to say that a quarter of the population couldn't read to an adult standard. In fact the report said that a quarter of the adult population made a mistake reading a complicated bus timetable, which I sometimes do myself.

The problem with these shock statistics is that they just confuse an issue. Bernardos have gotten plenty of publicity for themselves out of the incident but noone is any the wiser as to the level of the problem or how to tackle it.

**Block G Raptor** · 15/03/2006, 3:02 PM

Originally Posted by Bald Student

I saw a report a feek or so ago, which I can't find a link to, that said that one in seven children were either under-fed or under-nourished. If this is the same report then it includes kids who eat too many chips and other rubbish, which is a very different problem from going to bed hungry.

I doubt this is the report that barnardo's used to comprise their DATA

**Shelsman** · 15/03/2006, 4:39 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

Totally agree with you. I would say there are quite a few instances of parents squandering childrens allowance/social benefit on these vices it doesn't mean that something cant be done about it.

One thing they didn't cover was School Dinners, which I think should be brought in. This means that every child would be guaranteed at least one good meal a day, in fact, they could do breakfeast too if they were serious about it. I know the facilities aren't there but I am all for it.

**Block G Raptor** · 15/03/2006, 6:05 PM

Originally Posted by Shelsman

One thing they didn't cover was School Dinners, which I think should be brought in. This means that every child would be guaranteed at least one good meal a day, in fact, they could do breakfeast too if they were serious about it. I know the facilities aren't there but I am all for it.

It's not rocket science and your dead right its the minimum that should be provided. I remember when when I was at school the daily milk and sandwiches were withdrawn because the school was not in a deprived area,which automatically labels and stereotypes certain area's as less affluent than others, it's the same with community centers, if its a resource center in a "deprived" area they receive all sorts of Government grants but if its a Community Center 200 yards up the road it receives nothing.I can give examples if neccessary.

**Block G Raptor** · 16/03/2006, 7:12 PM

I've received a reply from Mary Hanafin Minister for education and science
telling exactly what she has done to educate the poor little children of Ireland
I've replied asking her to consider introducing school meals for all

**pete** · 16/03/2006, 10:13 PM

Sure there plenty of jobs out there now for kids to earn money for food

Seriously though if less well off people didn't spend so much cash on drink & cigarettes they might be able to feed their kids.

Sure i had someone telli ng me before who worked as dentist for the Health Board in Kildare that kids in the waiting room were drinking soft drinks

**Block G Raptor** · 17/03/2006, 1:57 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Seriously though if less well off people didn't spend so much cash on drink & cigarettes they might be able to feed their kids.

Are you seriously telling me that you would see your kid/s going hungry for a few beers/fags

I smoke 40 a day and enjoy a few pints. I have often stayed in all weekend when my daughter needed new clothes or shoes or whatever. the foot.ie xmas meet up was the only decent night out I had between september and xmas because Santa does not come cheap. Iam not special so I find it hard to believe that the family's of some 120,000 kids choose not to look after them!
I agree that addicts(Whatevr there addiction)do neglect their kids because of their addiction but be honest are the Addicts alone enough to cause the figures to be so high

**MervilleUnited** · 17/03/2006, 9:44 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

Iam not special so I find it hard to believe that the family's of some 120,000 kids choose not to look after them!
I agree that addicts(Whatevr there addiction)do neglect their kids because of their addiction but be honest are the Addicts alone enough to cause the figures to be so high

The answer is yes, as addiction does not only apply to Drink and Fags. I would say a fair few kids will starve over the weekend because of the Cheltenham Festival. The money that was thrown the betting shop was simply unbelievable this year. And Yes, kids who are fed a diet of crap are malnourished. The (Very expensive, compared to a pot of stew) hot food counter has a lot to answer for. It no wonder kids are going nuts. And starving.

**sligoman** · 19/03/2006, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

I signed the petition today and received replies from 2 T.D.'s from a "Minority" party

and a prominent member of the opposition! not a whisper from the government

I signed it last week and finally got a reply from a member of the Green Party, that's all so far.

**pete** · 20/03/2006, 10:15 AM

I'm sorry but i've yet to see any facts on this. I see Barnados claiming 242k children in relative poverty without any explaination what that even means. Not to trivialise the issue but sure ilm relatively poor compared to Bill Gates i.e. means nothing.

If there is no explanation as to what poverty means then how can it be solved.