Report Shows Poverty Costs State €4.5 Billion Annually

A new report has found that poverty is costing the Irish taxpayer 4.5 billion euro every year.

The report, from St Vincent de Paul, shows that public expenditure on solving issues arising from poverty such as poor health or living standards totals more than the respective budgets for housing, justice, transport, and agriculture.

Author of the report, and Assistant Professor of Social Policy in UCD, Dr Micheál Collins, says policies need to be changed, but admits this would happen over the lifetimes of several governments.

The Ennis Economist says that at the moment a portion of the tax collected by the government goes straight to fixing issues arising from poverty.