I would believe this with the cost of living crisis at the moment
I’m not surprised with how expensive everything has gotten… but Jesus Christ that is insane!
This is what matters , not the “ GDP “ or “ Economy Growth “
Some people would say it’s laughable and totally non credible to say with a straight face that 40% of parents are going without food in this country.
But just last week we were in this very situation. We only got three complimentary mints at the end of our restaurant meal, despite being a family of 4.
Needless to say, I stepped up to the plate and went without so that my young could eat.
Glad to see I’ve been represented in these statistics.
Honestly can’t even imagine having children in this day and age…. My parents raised 4 children, bought a house and had two cars, on minimum wage. We weren’t wealthy but we made it. I can’t imagine this ever for parents in the same situation and a huge factor on why I’m not going to have kids
Eating less to feed your young is admirable, but skipping during meals is going to use up more energy, surely?
Don’t worry lads our GDP is soaring
[deleted]
That explains why the Irish are so skinny…
Doesnt sound so reliable.
This seems unlikely.
It’s porrige oats that they eat. Lots of oats and water. Because of inflation. I remember my dad was poor and so was my mum. It’s tough in this economy and they had 2 kids include myself. So.
Yeah, single people rejoice. Being a parent is tough life conditions. Always being switched on.
Ah, but sure our GDP is class.
Four in 10 parents. So 40% of the parents. This needs better study from a more reputable source. I don’t believe this until then
Nope not buying this – one of the best child protection welfare systems in EU, multiple welfare benefits to assist lower paid and frankly between Aldi and Lidl you can easily feed a family a week notwithstanding fact it won’t necessarily be the most exciting of food but no one goes hungry unless you’re piss poor handling finance or living well beyond your means for discretionary. Our parents had it much tougher rougher with far less and they made ends meet …..
Pretty soon we’ll be like Italy, our birthrate will plummet as it’s too damn expensive to raise a family anymore. I feel so bad for those 4 in ten. I remember what that was like…
This is clearly an important issue, and I’ve total sympathy for anyone struggling to feed or otherwise care for their children.
However, I’m a scientist and I get frustrated by bad science. I’ve had a quick look through the report and I’ve seen some things that give me some doubts about it’s accuracy.
Firstly, this study is funded by Barnardo’s, a company that aims to influence policy related to children. They’re clearly hoping to achieve a certain outcome.
Only a single paragraph of methodology is provided – any decent scientist will understand the importance of explaining your methods. They claim that it’s nationally representative, but give no justification for that. They had a sample size of 1,000, which is pretty small.
Finally, we must always be wary of the wording of questions. For example, one of the questions was: “*How worried are you about being able to afford to meet your children’s needs over the next 6 months: very worried, moderately worried, slightly worried or not worried*”. Clearly the repetition of worry here will have an influence on respondents. A decent scientist would have used much more neutral wording.
So I’m sorry to say that this looks like some poor-quality science, and you’d have to be a bit sceptical about the results
The ones they state struggled most are the ones not contributing to society, fully reliant on society, milking everything they can & out with their fake tabs/lashes/lips/clothes & able to drink/sniff/vape & get takeaways.
Getting ready for the enlightened centrists to chime in on this one…
(BTW, I call bullshit on Barnados’s self-serving “study”. I think it’s another way to cause a splash and increase their donations. That being said, the trend of increased poverty is very real – and that is the point that should be taken from this).
Since we are probably the most obese country in Europe, this is a good thing.
Brunch or elevenses maybe
Yeah. Skipped their Spice Bag to buy their kid McDonalds.
I’m lucky enough now that I have a good job and can provide for my family and myself. There was a time however, not six years ago I’d have been in this position. I’d have skipped lunch whilst working or missed dinner or wore the shoes or shirt for an extra few months more than I should have, all so my wife and kids had what they needed. I do not miss those times.
I’m glad that everyone is in a position to be incredulous about these figures. You’re clearly in the 6 out of 10 who never experienced it. Well done you.
Why are people – even just on an individual level – accepting this and giving up?
We beat the fucking British – why the fuck aren’t we revolting against our own who have turned, and view us as disposable impediments to their profits – the way absentee landlords did?
2 in 5……parents say they skipped meals or ate less to feed their children this year
Disgraceful for such an overall well off, relatively small country. Health insurance is set to skyrocket soon, food and services are only going up (very quickly too!), the greed of the already wealthy is cruel and psychotic everywhere in the world right now.
But the GDP!
Definitely bullshit. Im calling it. Not saying things aren’t tough for some but this is bullshit
There is absolutely a cost of living crisis, and I sympathise fully with people who are genuinely struggling. However as someone who is a stickler for solid information, there is something off about the survey. For example, it claims 12% used a foodbank, is that 12% of Irish people, or 12% of people that Bernardos help to support..
Also the types of questions asked were very broad, e.g. regarding people making cutbacks. Almost everyone I know, wealthy and lower income, have cut back on food and energy to some extent. I know someone with 2 BMWs, who goes on 5 figure holidays who has had to cutback.
Again there are indeed issues, and most certainly cost-related issues especially since 2022, but we’re one of the wealthiest countries in the world, we can’t move on the roads for luxury cars – it feels like the survey focused less on accuracy and more on the work Bernardos does. Not a criticism as such, but more an observation. Sometimes these surveys are focused less on the science and more on drawing attention.
There is absolutely no way that 4 in 10 parents in Ireland are skipping meals out of necessity to feed their children. This is such a ludicrous claim that I examined the report to find out the background and methodology.
First of all, the report was commissioned by Barnardos, who have an agenda to make these issues appear as serious as possible and lobby the government for more funding. The sample size was only 1,000, and no information is given as to how they selected the sample.
The report promotes a series of demonstrably false claims, such as ‘Buying cheap and unhealthy food as that’s all we can afford’ and ‘Less nourishing meals having to use cheap cuts or fatty meat’.
In reality, healthy food is absolutely affordable and often cheaper than the unhealthy alternatives. You can walk into any supermarket, especially Lidl or Aldi, and buy more healthy, affordable food than at almost any time in human history. Cooking from scratch with potatoes, rice, vegetables, and meat is much cheaper per meal than buying highly processed ready meals or other junk.
As for the headline claim, it is actually phrased as: ‘40% skipped meals or reduced portion size so their children would have enough to eat’. If we unpack that statement further, it becomes obvious that it gives little or no insight, and it only leaves more questions than answers.
They ‘skipped meals or reduced portion size’, but what was the previous portion size? If the parents previously ate a huge meal far beyond their needs, then the reduced portion size may just be a normal, healthy portion size. If their typical meal had surplus calories and was full of saturated fat, then perhaps the reduction could even be beneficial on account of our obesity crisis.
Equally, we are not told by how much they have reduced their portion size. If they are eating one less potato, that is technically a reduction in portion size and would be counted in the figure, but it would be of little to no significance.
Likewise, there is no breakdown between those who entirely skipped a meal and those who just reduced portion size. Also, there could be a degree of subjectivity when determining whether their children have had ‘enough to eat’. We know that many parents in this country are feeding their children too much food, or the wrong type of food, so the researchers should not be blindly trusting their judgement on what constitutes ‘enough to eat’.
This is one of the many reasons I’ve decided to be childfree. I just don’t ever want to be in such an awful situation. And it can happen to anyone. It’s heartbreaking.
Yeap, just today I bought my son a ham and cheese sandwich, and while myself being hungry, I decided I will not eat, because I couldn’t afford it.
34 comments
I would believe this with the cost of living crisis at the moment
I’m not surprised with how expensive everything has gotten… but Jesus Christ that is insane!
This is what matters , not the “ GDP “ or “ Economy Growth “
Some people would say it’s laughable and totally non credible to say with a straight face that 40% of parents are going without food in this country.
But just last week we were in this very situation. We only got three complimentary mints at the end of our restaurant meal, despite being a family of 4.
Needless to say, I stepped up to the plate and went without so that my young could eat.
Glad to see I’ve been represented in these statistics.
Honestly can’t even imagine having children in this day and age…. My parents raised 4 children, bought a house and had two cars, on minimum wage. We weren’t wealthy but we made it. I can’t imagine this ever for parents in the same situation and a huge factor on why I’m not going to have kids
Eating less to feed your young is admirable, but skipping during meals is going to use up more energy, surely?
Don’t worry lads our GDP is soaring
[deleted]
That explains why the Irish are so skinny…
Doesnt sound so reliable.
This seems unlikely.
It’s porrige oats that they eat. Lots of oats and water. Because of inflation. I remember my dad was poor and so was my mum. It’s tough in this economy and they had 2 kids include myself. So.
Yeah, single people rejoice. Being a parent is tough life conditions. Always being switched on.
Ah, but sure our GDP is class.
Four in 10 parents. So 40% of the parents. This needs better study from a more reputable source. I don’t believe this until then
Nope not buying this – one of the best child protection welfare systems in EU, multiple welfare benefits to assist lower paid and frankly between Aldi and Lidl you can easily feed a family a week notwithstanding fact it won’t necessarily be the most exciting of food but no one goes hungry unless you’re piss poor handling finance or living well beyond your means for discretionary. Our parents had it much tougher rougher with far less and they made ends meet …..
Pretty soon we’ll be like Italy, our birthrate will plummet as it’s too damn expensive to raise a family anymore. I feel so bad for those 4 in ten. I remember what that was like…
This is clearly an important issue, and I’ve total sympathy for anyone struggling to feed or otherwise care for their children.
However, I’m a scientist and I get frustrated by bad science. I’ve had a quick look through the report and I’ve seen some things that give me some doubts about it’s accuracy.
Firstly, this study is funded by Barnardo’s, a company that aims to influence policy related to children. They’re clearly hoping to achieve a certain outcome.
Only a single paragraph of methodology is provided – any decent scientist will understand the importance of explaining your methods. They claim that it’s nationally representative, but give no justification for that. They had a sample size of 1,000, which is pretty small.
Finally, we must always be wary of the wording of questions. For example, one of the questions was: “*How worried are you about being able to afford to meet your children’s needs over the next 6 months: very worried, moderately worried, slightly worried or not worried*”. Clearly the repetition of worry here will have an influence on respondents. A decent scientist would have used much more neutral wording.
So I’m sorry to say that this looks like some poor-quality science, and you’d have to be a bit sceptical about the results
The ones they state struggled most are the ones not contributing to society, fully reliant on society, milking everything they can & out with their fake tabs/lashes/lips/clothes & able to drink/sniff/vape & get takeaways.
Getting ready for the enlightened centrists to chime in on this one…
(BTW, I call bullshit on Barnados’s self-serving “study”. I think it’s another way to cause a splash and increase their donations. That being said, the trend of increased poverty is very real – and that is the point that should be taken from this).
Since we are probably the most obese country in Europe, this is a good thing.
Brunch or elevenses maybe
Yeah. Skipped their Spice Bag to buy their kid McDonalds.
I’m lucky enough now that I have a good job and can provide for my family and myself. There was a time however, not six years ago I’d have been in this position. I’d have skipped lunch whilst working or missed dinner or wore the shoes or shirt for an extra few months more than I should have, all so my wife and kids had what they needed. I do not miss those times.
I’m glad that everyone is in a position to be incredulous about these figures. You’re clearly in the 6 out of 10 who never experienced it. Well done you.
Why are people – even just on an individual level – accepting this and giving up?
We beat the fucking British – why the fuck aren’t we revolting against our own who have turned, and view us as disposable impediments to their profits – the way absentee landlords did?
Was it for this the wild geese spread
The grey wing upon every tide;
For this that all that blood was shed,
For this [Edward Fitzgerald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Edward_FitzGerald) died,
And [Robert Emmet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Emmet) and [Wolfe Tone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfe_Tone),
All that delirium of the brave?
Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone,
It’s with O’Leary in the grave.
2 in 5……parents say they skipped meals or ate less to feed their children this year
Disgraceful for such an overall well off, relatively small country. Health insurance is set to skyrocket soon, food and services are only going up (very quickly too!), the greed of the already wealthy is cruel and psychotic everywhere in the world right now.
But the GDP!
Definitely bullshit. Im calling it. Not saying things aren’t tough for some but this is bullshit
There is absolutely a cost of living crisis, and I sympathise fully with people who are genuinely struggling. However as someone who is a stickler for solid information, there is something off about the survey. For example, it claims 12% used a foodbank, is that 12% of Irish people, or 12% of people that Bernardos help to support..
Also the types of questions asked were very broad, e.g. regarding people making cutbacks. Almost everyone I know, wealthy and lower income, have cut back on food and energy to some extent. I know someone with 2 BMWs, who goes on 5 figure holidays who has had to cutback.
Again there are indeed issues, and most certainly cost-related issues especially since 2022, but we’re one of the wealthiest countries in the world, we can’t move on the roads for luxury cars – it feels like the survey focused less on accuracy and more on the work Bernardos does. Not a criticism as such, but more an observation. Sometimes these surveys are focused less on the science and more on drawing attention.
There is absolutely no way that 4 in 10 parents in Ireland are skipping meals out of necessity to feed their children. This is such a ludicrous claim that I examined the report to find out the background and methodology.
The report is available here: [https://www.barnardos.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Barnardos-Cost-Of-Living-Report-2025_.pdf](https://www.barnardos.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Barnardos-Cost-Of-Living-Report-2025_.pdf)
First of all, the report was commissioned by Barnardos, who have an agenda to make these issues appear as serious as possible and lobby the government for more funding. The sample size was only 1,000, and no information is given as to how they selected the sample.
The report promotes a series of demonstrably false claims, such as ‘Buying cheap and unhealthy food as that’s all we can afford’ and ‘Less nourishing meals having to use cheap cuts or fatty meat’.
In reality, healthy food is absolutely affordable and often cheaper than the unhealthy alternatives. You can walk into any supermarket, especially Lidl or Aldi, and buy more healthy, affordable food than at almost any time in human history. Cooking from scratch with potatoes, rice, vegetables, and meat is much cheaper per meal than buying highly processed ready meals or other junk.
As for the headline claim, it is actually phrased as: ‘40% skipped meals or reduced portion size so their children would have enough to eat’. If we unpack that statement further, it becomes obvious that it gives little or no insight, and it only leaves more questions than answers.
They ‘skipped meals or reduced portion size’, but what was the previous portion size? If the parents previously ate a huge meal far beyond their needs, then the reduced portion size may just be a normal, healthy portion size. If their typical meal had surplus calories and was full of saturated fat, then perhaps the reduction could even be beneficial on account of our obesity crisis.
Equally, we are not told by how much they have reduced their portion size. If they are eating one less potato, that is technically a reduction in portion size and would be counted in the figure, but it would be of little to no significance.
Likewise, there is no breakdown between those who entirely skipped a meal and those who just reduced portion size. Also, there could be a degree of subjectivity when determining whether their children have had ‘enough to eat’. We know that many parents in this country are feeding their children too much food, or the wrong type of food, so the researchers should not be blindly trusting their judgement on what constitutes ‘enough to eat’.
This is one of the many reasons I’ve decided to be childfree. I just don’t ever want to be in such an awful situation. And it can happen to anyone. It’s heartbreaking.
Yeap, just today I bought my son a ham and cheese sandwich, and while myself being hungry, I decided I will not eat, because I couldn’t afford it.
Comments are closed.