Press release
Minister O’Brien welcomes publication of the Report on Food Poverty – Government programmes, schemes and supports
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion in the Department of Social Protection Joe O’Brien, and Chair of the Working Group on Food Poverty today (Monday 18 July) welcomed the publication of a report on government programmes, schemes and supports that address food poverty in Ireland.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025, published in January 2020, is the national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion. The Roadmap aims to reduce the percentage of the population in consistent poverty to 2% or less by 2025 and to significantly reduce social exclusion in Ireland.
Minister O’Brien, established the Working Group on Food Poverty last year to progress the delivery of a commitment under the Roadmap to ‘Develop a comprehensive programme of work to further explore the drivers of food poverty and to identify mitigating actions’.
The working group comprises officials from a range of government departments along with representatives from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Crosscare and the Children’s Rights Alliance.
Speaking about the publication, Minister O’Brien said:
“This report is the result of a mapping exercise undertaken by the Food Poverty Working Group. As Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion in the Department of Social Protection, I have a strong interest in addressing all types of poverty and I am acutely aware that many families are struggling at the moment given the increase in the cost of living. Poverty is multi-dimensional and needs to be addressed on a number of fronts. Food poverty, in particular, is a complex issue but one that we must get to grips with which is why I established the Working Group.
“It is clear this issue cross-cuts a number of departments who are engaged in programmes, schemes and supports that are connected, either directly or indirectly, to the issue of food poverty.
“This report shows the range of work being undertaken by departments, agencies, schools, and the community and voluntary sector, all funded by Government in 2021 - everything from education on healthy eating, to Hot School Meals, to Meals on Wheels.
“The report now consolidates the fact that a variety of government departments have a role to play in addressing food poverty. Ahead of Budget 2023 I will be contacting relevant Ministers requesting that they further develop their roles in addressing food poverty.”
This report is the outcome of a high-level mapping exercise undertaken by the Food Poverty Working Group that is intended to illustrate the breadth of programmes, schemes and supports in place across Government to tackle food poverty. The schemes fall into 2 categories: those directly focused on tackling food poverty and those where food poverty is addressed as part of broader supports.
Expenditure in 2021 on schemes that directly addressed food poverty was €89,001,076.
Expenditure in 2021 on broader schemes that include a food poverty aspect was €399,232,000.
There is no official food poverty indicator in Ireland. However, in 2012 the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) developed a measure which defined food poverty as the inability to have an adequate and nutritious diet due to issues of affordability or accessibility. This measure is derived using data collected as part of the annual Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). For 2020, the achieved sample size for SILC was 4,243 households and 10,683 individuals.
Using this approach food poverty is measured by the percentage of individuals experiencing 1 or more of the following:
1. Unable to afford a meal with meat, or vegetarian equivalent, every second day. This indicator suggests severe food deprivation, and is 1 of the 11 deprivation items used for the consistent poverty measure.
2. Unable to afford a weekly roast dinner (or vegetarian equivalent). This indicator refers to the affordability of food, and in addition, the affordability of a cultural norm. While reference to a weekly roast may seem outdated, the indicator refers to those who cannot afford this. This item is also 1 of the 11 deprivation items used for the consistent poverty measure.
3. Missing one substantial meal in the last fortnight due to lack of money. This item, in its reference to the affordability of food, but not the quality or adequacy of it, refers to severe food deprivation. This item is not 1 of the 11 deprivation items used for the consistent poverty measure. Also, it is asked of all respondents over 16 years of age whereas the other deprivation items are asked at a household level.
The most recent figures, based on this measure, are set out below:
Percentage of the population experiencing food poverty:
| Food poverty rate | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| (%) | 13.1 | 12.2 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 12.0 | 8.9 |