SPARK-Ireland

This morning, as part of the National One Parent Family Alliance we will be the the Oireachtas Committee for children and equality talking about child poverty. Tune in at 9.30am oireachtas.ie/en/committees/…

Since Jan- July 25 there's been a net increase of 772 #Homeless people. 742 are in families, 30 are single. 411 - Children 279 - Women 82 - Men Children are paying the highest toll for the #HousingCrisis. We are failing our children.

🎫Book your place for Day 5 #EndChildPovertyWeek: bit.ly/45zLjdX Keynote: @UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty & human rights, @DeSchutterOOlivier Other speakers include @Louiseinflight @SVP_Ireland, Helen Russell @ESRIDublin, & Niall Egan @welfare_ie

Big News! 📣 End Child Poverty Week 2025 takes place 8 -12 Sept! Focusing on key thematic areas including early years, education, food poverty and child welfare and alternative care. ℹ️Info: bit.ly/4ovWWuR ➡️Register: bit.ly/4m9oZ1A #EndChildPovertyWeek

People in poverty and low income spend a greater share of their income on food and energy than better-off people.⁦@SVP_Ireland⁩ ⁦@EAPNIreland⁩ ⁦@ATD_Europe⁩ ⁦@ChildRightsIRL⁩ ⁦@SparkIreland⁩ ⁦@1familyireland⁩ irishexaminer.com/news/arid-4169…

These figures show failure. An increase of 114 homeless children and 47 additional families. Lone parents and their children are being hammered during the current housing crisis. There are solutions, we need an urgent taskforce on lone parent homelessness now, use our expertise!

We know that low income households spend a higher proportion of their low budget on food than better off households. We also know that many parents cut back on food or ‘do without’ so they their children have enough to eat. Food poverty is a real issue. rte.ie/news/business/…

Over 30% of people in homelessness are children. Let that sink in! The numbers reveal a deepening crisis affecting —children and lone-parent families. Ending child homelessness should be prioritised in any society claiming to value equality, dignity, and care.

The American Dream! We need to understand that humanity trumps economy, pun intended. A sustainable world will only exist when we consider the good of all humanity and recognise that uncurtailed greed and wealth will destroy us.

Never again is now.

The pandemic has deepened inequalities. ⁦@ChildRightsIRL⁩ ⁦@SVP_Ireland⁩ ⁦@issu4u⁩ ⁦@nycinews⁩ ⁦@NaiFeely⁩ ⁦@OCO_ireland⁩ ⁦@1familyireland⁩ ⁦@SparkIreland⁩ ⁦@SocialJusticeI⁩ jrnl.ie/6704282

I am going to say something that @philipnolan1 might kill me for. I am pleased to see he is recovering, and it reminds us to say nice things about people when they are alive. Years ago, I posted about a child who was shamed in school for not being able to buy school books.

There are now 8,387 people in #FamilyHomelessness and 7,031 single adults. This month, there was a drop of 16 single adults and an increase of 22 children. There was an increase of 27 families in emergency accommodation, 21 of which were lone parents. We need a family taskforce.

Children deserve qualified, committed workers in their early learning years. It can't be at the expense of workers. We can't offer qualified staff a .15c wage above min. wage for such an important role. Solidarity to the workers. independent.ie/irish-news/all…

54 parents of children without suitable special educational needs school placements will stage a 24-hour sleep out at the Department of Education from 1pm today. newstalk.com/news/parents-s…

🚀Join us for the launch of #ReportCard2025 We are delighted that @Louiseinflight Head of Policy and Social Justice @SVP_Ireland will join the panel discussion on how the Government progressed on its own commitments to children. ℹ️Tues 25 Feb at 10am: bit.ly/42LreS9

So important to remember that while not all lone parents are domestic abuse survivors, but all domestic abuse survivors with children became lone parents. Fear of the poverty and homelessness that lone parents face, trap victims in ongoing abuse.

@AnClaiomhSolais @thejournal_ie You do know that ALL maintenance payments are excluded from social welfare assessment. Probably best not to show your ignorance around this!

@thejournal_ie Because they're paying in cash so the parent looking after the child can also claim benefits. Probably best not to go shouting too loudly about this one.

Parenting: Why are we letting parents off the hook for failure to pay child maintenance? jrnl.ie/6603016t

@2Otoole4School @AnClaiomhSolais @thejournal_ie Really, you should get your fact right. The most recent ESRI report showed only 38% of Fathers regularly pay maintenance, that 62% of Dads having an easy ride!

@AnClaiomhSolais @thejournal_ie Or they spend it on smokes , booze and tanning beds. We would be much better off doing a split payment based on submitted receipts, far too many lads being taken for a ride financially and its not benefitting their kids at all

@HannaghMc @baldoyle55 @SVP_Ireland It is an archaic system that completely misses the point that children suffer, if the state does not enforce responsibility onto an absent parent.

‘Non-payment of maintenance is child neglect and should always be treated as such. It is a criminal matter, and we can no longer rest the burden on the already heavy shoulders of the lone parent.’ ⁦@SVP_Ireland⁩ ⁦@SparkIreland⁩ jrnl.ie/6603016