At the Child Poverty and Well-being Summit in Dublin, One Family, an organization that advocates for single-parent families, called on the Irish government to address the structural barriers that keep families trapped in poverty. With Budget 2026 around the corner, the organization stated the government must act quickly in the areas of housing, childcare, and social welfare to tackle reductions in child poverty. Carly Bailey, One Family’s policy manager, highlighted that the current barriers are deeply entrenched in policy systems but can more than likely be removed through political will. The summit, hosted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, brought together politicians, leaders, and practitioners to create plans for reducing child poverty.

The government has set the target of reducing regular child poverty from 5.5% to 3% or lower by 2030. Nevertheless, a recent ESRI report has shown that one in five children live below the poverty line after housing costs, returning to levels comparable to those seen during the financial collapse. The Taoiseach reemphasized child poverty is morally imperative and essential for the improved liberal state and a fairer society, pledging to focus resource allocation on families suffering the most.

One Family used real-life testimonies to demonstrate the experiences of lone parents, such as the risk of homelessness, inappropriate housing, and inadequate benefits with full-time work. Many parents stated they felt illegally abandoned despite playing by all of the rules. One Family recommended a new Family Homeless Strategy, higher child maintenance payments, and ongoing Back to School payments due to the changing size of families. Bailey recommended that the government school include the lived experience of parents in policy formation and emphasized that the 2026 budget must ensure tangible change for children and families to break the cycle of poverty and enhance well-being and quality of life.