Almost 60 per cent of households with children under 18 cannot afford a week-long holiday and nearly 17 per cent are not in a position to pay for a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every other day.

Results of the Survey on Income and Living Conditions for 2012, carried out by the National Statistics Office, show that 27.2 per cent of children were living in households that did not have enough money to meet unexpected financial expenses.

The survey found that nearly 22 per cent of children and elderly were living in households that faced difficulties in affording heating, up from 17.7 per cent recorded for 2011. The NSO calculated material deprivation by asking house-holds whether they could meet unexpected financial expenses, a week away from home, a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day, keeping their home warm, owning a washing machine, a colour TV set, a telephone or a car, or have arrears to pay.

Those unable to afford at least three of the items mentioned are considered as materially deprived and people who could not have access to four are severely materially deprived. According to the survey, the at-risk-of-poverty rate stood at just over 23 per cent in 2012 and those at the poverty line, or risk of exclusion, made up almost 31 per cent.

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