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OVER ONE IN six households cannot afford to take their children on a one-week holiday away from home, CSO figures have revealed.
More than a third of renters can’t afford the family holiday, four times higher than the rate among parents who own their own home.
According to the CSO figures, which were reocrded last year, almost a third (31.1%) of children living in rented accommodation experienced ‘material deprivation’ – an indicator meaning the inability to afford certain basic goods and services that are considered essential for a decent standard of living.
One in twenty homes reported that they were unable to afford new (not second-hand) clothes for their children.
Single-parent households, households that rent, had no Irish-born parent, or working adult were more likely to experience child deprivationhttps://t.co/GBlST6fQCC #CSOIreland #Ireland #SILC #EUSILC #SocialInclusion #PovertyIndicator #PovertyRate #Deprivation #EnforcedDeprivation pic.twitter.com/0AJsxOu5Os
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) May 8, 2025
Many single-parent households were found to be struggling – one in eight (12.1%) households with one parent reported that they were unable to afford to pay for regular leisure activities (sports, playing an intrument, youth clubs) for their children.
The rate was three times the corresponding figure of 4.3% for two-parent households.
For immigrant families, the rates increased again - 17.1% were unable to afford regular leisure activities for their children in 2024.
Seperately, one in twenty (5.2%) single-parent households said that they could not afford to invite friends of their children to their household to play or eat from time to time, and a similar percentage (6.2%) could not afford school trips and school events (that cost money).
The comparable rates for two-parent households were 1.1% and 0.6% respectively.
Immigrant households are more likely to experience poverty, with 17.1% of those without an Irish-born parent unable to afford regular leisure activities for their children, compared to just 2.1% of households where at least one parent is Irish-born.
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Working families can’t. My sister on benefits goes twice a year with kids and three times on her own. Don’t know why I bother working
@Pateen Conlon: She’s clearly better at managing her money and looking after the welfare of her kids than you.
@Big Beats: saucer of milk for big beats please
@Pateen Conlon: 54% of households with no working adults are unable to afford a 1-week family holiday, compared to 26% with one working adults, 10% with two working adults.
A family who is unemployed is very unlikely to afford 5 holidays a year, it is possible your alleged sister is a very rare exception, I therefore think it far more likely you are being deliberately deceitful, or maybe you are counting day trips to Dollymount strand as “holidays”.
Also, 24.9% of households with no working adults cannot afford a regular leisure activity (e.g. swimming, playing an instrument, youth organisations, etc.), compared to 5.4% of households with one working adult, and 1.7% with two working adults.
6.7% of households with no working adults are unable to afford school trips and events that cost money, compared to 3.4% with one working adult, and 0.5% with two working adults.
8.5% of households with no working adults can’t afford new clothes, compared to 4.8% of households with one working adult, and 0.5% with two working adults.
And finally, 54.2% of households with no working adult suffer from some form of child material deprivation, compared to 24.4% with one working adult, and 3.7% with 2 working adults.
The figures show that the cost of living in Ireland is high, that families generally guarantee financially secure if both parents work.
So the problem is not that unemployed are somehow better off or receive unfair advantage, are all spongers, rather it often not possible for families to earn enough if just one parent works; one parent working is roughly half as bad as no one working.
@Pateen Conlon: My dad was outta work for a couple of years when I was a kid. We could still afford a caravan holiday for a week in the summer, mainly due to the fact that neither of my parents drank a lot or smoked, and my mum knew how to cook.
@Big Beats: Not her money.
@Big Beats: her money? That she worked for?
@Pateen Conlon: what a pile of sh@@e
@Pateen Conlon: if true. You’re sister has an alternative income. Laundering money, growing, dealing, selling herself.
Family holidays were always for the better off. Working people could never afford them.
The only people that i know who get free houses and cars, holidays etc are company CEOs.
@bruce banner: and the illegal immigrants
You get what you vote for
@MN: Name a party or partied that will do better.
….and the government continues to tell us inflation is 2% when it is really between 15 & 20%!!!!
that’s strange there’s new Butlins holiday camp opening on Heywood rd in clonmel it’s free all year round courtesy of fffg if contact TD Michael Murphy of FG he book you in free of charge,I never they’re are hundreds of these holiday homes around Ireland ……ipas paid for by you
@jn: You still have not mastered the most simplistic basics of the language. I doubt what you have to say will make much sense either.
@Sun Rise: To be fair, you’re not the best judge of grammer, judging from the errors of your own.
@Great Eagle: * grammar
@jn: learn how to read and write before going off on a rant
Maybe go on the dole…they get free everything and even paid holidays to take a break from doing nothing
@Paul: Try it sometime
@Paul: Jealous?
@Big Beats: I have had a period of being in receipt of welfare payments. It allowed me to keep the lights on, home warm and food on the table having lost a job but it couldn’t last forever. I tried it and working for a living is far better. It allows me to take holidays in destinations free from the perpetual scroungers.
@Paul: did you read the article???
@Jack Hayes: no, but disappointed that the 62k a year in income tax I pay funds so many wasters.
If you worked, you might understand how I feel
Scamigrants getting cars fixed for free whilst everyone else gets hammered.
@Ailbhe MacThomais: Bore off.
@Ailbhe MacThomais: Lies
@Ailbhe MacThomais: I hear you’re a racist now Ailbhe!
What is wrong with second hand clothes? I have worn them, and sometimes still do. Nor can i go on holiday every year. I do not feel deprived nor ashamed. Why is the CSO involving itself in the governmental stigmatisation of people?
@Oh Mammy: I bought a ski jacket in SVP for 3 euro, its been to Zermatt 3 times, with all 3 of my kids. I handed it back last week so someone else can benefit.
The number is a lot lot lot higher than that. Are The Journal capable of getting anything right??? Like seriously even one little small thing?
@Tracy Reddy: What’s the correct number and what’s your source? Do tell.
@Jack Hayes: Tracy has her own alternative facts sourced from Facebook.
Terrible people cannot go on holiday government too busy looking after migrants and Ukraines to bother with irish people who pay taxes
@Pauline Cahill: So you’re telling me that people can’t go on holiday because of dem bleedin fordiners? That’s terrible Pauline, terrible!
@Pauline Cahill: Terrible people shouldn’t be allowed to go on holiday. Only nice people.
@Pauline Cahill: Jesus.. Are you implying that you want the government to pay for your holidays?? Are you for real or just that thick ?Try and do what most working people do and save to go on one.
If you’re a Ukrainian you can go back and forth as you please. The trick is to be a scam refugee
@Rian O’Callaghan: You can leave and come back as many times too. Maybe just leave and never come back
@Rian O’Callaghan: Bigoted dim bulb troll.
@Jack Hayes: Yes agree you totally are
@Big Beats: I am not a Ukrainian scammers so am good thx kid.
@Rian O’Callaghan: Yes, Johnny. That’s generally how travel works. I know it’s a struggle for you and your incel far-right up your own ar se brigade to comprehend.
Not being able to afford an annual holiday is not deprivation and should not be a head line. There are parents not eating so their kids can eat, not being able to pay for gas/electricity
Yet Ukrainians are given free holiday homes in Ireland, absolutely scandalous
@Tired Jim: You are still asleep
Was listening to that doughnut on classic fm’s evening chat show last night. A caller highlighted that the cohort having kids atm is young, less formally educated working class 17-25 year olds. Generally speaking will be fast tracked on housing due to low income young child. Will be much easier to head off to Lanza 2/3 times a year with no mortgage to deal with..
Not in ireland anyway.
That’s a holiday in Ireland I presume, because the airport is maxed out.
That’s strange , Porta del carmen is rammed with families on holidays, probably their first holiday of the year
Jus because you’re physically able to have children doesn’t mean you should. We the people should not have to pay for someone’s home, clothes or food just because they are unwilling to compromise.
Is this article talking about foreign holidays or holidays in Ireland?
@Jacki Rhodes:
It’s about getting clicks & comments from angry people
The site leverages user activity to build analytics services & generate recurring Ad revenue.
Ethical concerns arise but they remain central to the social media economy.
Buying crap that’s why, I bet all of those house holds have thousand euro iPhones.
2 days on tending bar.
5 days off.
Cat called Monday.
Only suckers need holidays.
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