A new study commissioned by Pobal and released on Tuesday by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) highlights worsening health outcomes for residents in Ireland’s most disadvantaged communities, even as unemployment rates show signs of improvement.
The ESRI report analyzed changes in barriers to social inclusion over time and examined whether vulnerable groups have been disproportionately affected. Drawing on data from the Pobal HP Deprivation Index alongside the 2016 and 2022 national censuses, the research found some encouraging signs such as reduced unemployment and rising educational attainment in poorer areas.
Between 2016 and 2022, the unemployment gap between the poorest and wealthiest regions narrowed significantly from 24 percentage points to 14 percentage points. However, the report cautions that lower unemployment figures do not necessarily translate to an improved standard of living, especially given rising living costs and concerns over job quality.
In stark contrast to these gains, the study revealed a marked increase in poor health among the most deprived populations. The number of people reporting very poor health in the poorest areas rose by 29%, compared to a 22% increase in the wealthiest regions. This widening health gap points to the ongoing challenges faced by vulnerable groups.
Researchers attribute some of these trends to the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted health outcomes in poorer communities. The report notes that before the pandemic, those in deprived areas already had greater healthcare needs but may have suffered disproportionately from reduced access to routine medical services as healthcare systems shifted focus to emergency COVID care.
Additionally, the study observed growing ethnic diversity, particularly in urban centers, and an increase in single-parent households in cities and poorer districts.
Anna Shakespeare, CEO of Pobal, emphasized the findings underscore the urgent need for place-based policy interventions in Ireland. “This research highlights the importance of reassessing national health and social policies in the wake of the pandemic,” she said. “The health disparities between the most vulnerable and other groups are widening, a fact that cannot be ignored.”
Shakespeare added that these findings will have significant implications for the allocation of healthcare resources and planning across Ireland in the coming years.
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