One hundred and forty thousand Irish children live in poverty according to the Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) who are finalising their pre-budget submission.
Provision of, and access to, childcare can lead to poverty reduction particularly child poverty. However, CPA director Helen Johnston says the chilcare system also needs to be flexible.
Speaking in Dundalk, where the agency held a board meeting yesterday and discussed its pre-budget and partnership submissions, Ms Johnston also said there are many more children at risk of poverty who are living in low-income households.
"There should be education and training supports for parents or young parents who have had to leave school early, and who need education and training to facilitate them moving back into the workforce on a part-time or full-time basis."
The additional impact of the Border in relation to poverty was raised yesterday and Ms Johnston said the conflict in Northern Ireland has contributed to "less investment the breaking up of networks across the Border. There has been displacement of people from Northern Ireland and there are a number of very disadvantaged areas with little investment. So there is the additional legacy of disadvantage in relation to the conflict".
In partnership with Area Development Management (ADM) CPA has funded a number of programmes addressing poverty and conflict in the Border region.
One of these, Beyond Borders, is working on raising health or wellbeing issues for men along the Border.
It is going out to places where men gather, such as cattle marts and sports halls, to try and get health information to them. Furthermore it meets their needs and the use of such information influences policy of bodies like health authorities.
"We are working out what approaches will work, on the ground, to develop a good sense of community spirit in what is a new Ireland," said Ann McGeeney manager of the crossBorder centre for community development that operates the programme.
"We are particularly interested in areas where there is poverty because there is also a good sense of community spirit, and we want to know how you meet the needs there and use the resources that are in place to meet them."