The Combat Poverty Agency has called on the Government to make 2004 the year for family policy after it was revealed that as many as 71,000 households in Ireland still experience "consistent poverty".
According to Combat Poverty's 2002 annual report, 5.5 per cent of households nationwide are unable to cover their weekly outgoings with their income, and as a result 6 per cent of children are subject to perpetual poverty.
Ms Helen Johnston, director of the Combat Poverty Agency, said: "They [these households] have an income of less than €172 per week and they lack the basic necessities that most people would expect to have in today's society.
"Things like being able to afford a hot meal during the day, being able to buy a coat, being able to buy pair of shoes, being able to heat your house or pay household bills like gas, electricity and fuel without going into arrears," added Ms Johnston
Combat Poverty has pointed to the fact that 2004 - the third year of their three year strategic reform plan - is the tenth anniversary of the UN Year of the family and also the year Ireland will hold the EU Presidency and therefore the perfect opportunity to work with European counterparts to reform family policy.
According to Ms Johnston, measures that need to be addressed first, by the agency and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Mary Coughlan, are an increase in social welfare payments and child benefit payments, as well as universal access to high quality affordable childcare.
The current minimum social welfare payments are set at €124.80 per week.
Of the 71,000 households in "consistent poverty", over 25 per cent are one-parent families, and 16 per cent are two-parent households with four or more children. Ethnic minorities, Travellers and families experiencing violence are also among the most vulnerable.
Though there is an obvious urgency about it's requests, Combat Poverty acknowleges that the figures compare favourably to those of ten years ago for example, when 15 per cent of families lived in consistent poverty. Ms Johnston however, insists that more can be done.
"There should be a prioritisation of resources so that people who are living in poverty shouldn't live in poverty in today's Ireland and there should be increases made in budgets in that regard."
Speaking on the government's contribution to the cause Ms Johnston claimed that the input has been "mixed."
"I do think that they have certainly taken some of the issues on board. They have developed very good plans and targets," said Ms Johnston.
"But I think it hasn't been enough really. There has also been a lot of investment into other areas of our society aswell, so the balance has maybe not been as focused on social inclusion as we would have wished but progress has certainly been made."