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Four in 10 parents in Ireland borrowed money in the past year to provide essentials for their children. This is according to Barnardos’ Cost of Living 2025 report which was published on Tuesday.
It found that a significant number of parents are struggling. Of 1,000 parents across a nationally represented survey, 19% had to cut back or go without food over the past six months. Some 40% of parents said they skipped meals or reduced portion sizes so their children would have enough to eat, while 28% felt at some point they didn’t have enough food to feed their children and 12% used a foodbank.
Due to insufficient income, 18% of parents cut back on or went without heating and 17% on electricity in the past six months. One third of parents (32%) went into arrears on energy bills due to insufficient income.
As the cost of living continues to rise, more than half (52%) cut back or went without social activities and 41% cut back on clothing. One in five parents said they went without or avoided medical appointments.
The vast majority of parents (78%) said cost of living problems negatively affect their children, with 19% saying it significantly does. Only one in four parents said they did not need to cut back or go without essential items.
Seven in ten parents said they sometimes or always worry about not being able to provide their children with daily essentials. One parent that took part in the survey said: “I have turned the heating down in the house to reduce the bill, meaning the kids now sleep with extra blankets and wear jumpers or hoodies around the house.
“I never want my children to go cold or hungry so I’ll often try to sleep to stay warm and keep lights off to reduce bills also.” While another said: “There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Dreading next winter’s bills.”
And a third commented: “We are just barely getting by. My in-laws buy us fuel each week we couldn’t afford it otherwise. I never have money in my purse or account. We are worse off than before.” Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly said the report shows that parents and children across the country “are still going without or having to cut back on basic essentials”.
She said: “Parents on the lowest incomes are really struggling, as well as those just outside the threshold for welfare support. They are continuing to try everything to give their children the necessities for a decent quality childhood, but unfortunately at times failing.”
Since this annual report began in 2021, Ms Connolly said things have “remained static”, despite repeated once-off Government cost of living measures. She added: “There must be targeted permanent support introduced, otherwise more children will go without essentials next year.
“At an absolute minimum every child in Ireland should live in homes with adequate heating and electricity, sufficient nutritious food and appropriate clothing, as well as the opportunity to engage in sporting and cultural activities. Parents should not be at risk of constant financial distress in order to provide their children with these essentials.”
The charity is recommending that the government increase the child support payment in line with inflation. This would require increasing the payment for children under 12 by €6 per week and for children aged 12 and over by €15 per week in Budget 2026.
For the one-parent family payment in Ireland, there is an income disregard for the first €165 of gross weekly earnings. Barnardos recommends that this income disregard is increased, enabling single parents to retain more income.
It says this would better protect children in these households who are at disproportionate risk of going without essentials. In Budget 2026 the charity is also asking for fuel allowance to be extended to those on this single parent payment, and that vulnerable families using prepaid metres should be placed on fuel allowance.
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