Poverty in Northern Ireland exists as a unique case in the Global West. However, there are organizations in place working to amplify poverty reduction in Northern Ireland.

The unusual situation in Northern Ireland comes as a result of the lingering effects of The Troubles. The Troubles refers to a period of political unrest and violence in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century. This came about as a result of political and religious discrimination by the state against the Irish Catholic population.

This has had a knock-on effect for generations. According to 2022/23 Poverty and Income Inequality Report, 14% of the population in Northern Ireland lived in absolute poverty. This manifests itself through rising unemployment rates and rising child poverty rates. Many people are struggling to pay their bills and feed their families.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, almost a third of children in Northern Ireland are impoverished. It also highlights elevated levels of wealth inequality. However, there are steps being taken to promote poverty reduction in Northern Ireland.

The Aftermath of The Troubles

According to a 2002/2003 survey, nearly half of all adults living in Northern Ireland had suffered through the death or injury of a person they know. A decade later the foundation did another survey which showed that this had not subsided. Their 2012 survey showed that 35% of the adult population experienced the death of someone they know.

This has led to crises in regard to mental health and generational PTSD. It has also reinforced community divisions. The legacy of the Troubles has left a lot of communities in a cycle of poverty which they are struggling to emerge from. 

It has also led to high rates of long-term employment. There are great strides being made to reverse these trends. The Lifetime Opportunities scheme is a good example of this.

People and Place

In 2003, the Department for Social Development (DSD) introduced a program known as “People and Place – A strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal.” This project set out four primary objectives: Community Renewal, Economic Renewal, Social Renewal and Physical Renewal.

The DSD identified urban areas with the most need for renewal using the “New Noble Multiple Deprivation Measure.” These areas were primarily in Belfast and Derry. 

Neighbourhood Renewal

Neighbourhood Renewal in Northern Ireland is built upon the principle of community planning. This helps with the rolling out of new strategies and the facilitation of local planning and cooperation.

One of the most important aspects of Neighbourhood Renewals has been the establishment of Neighbourhood Partnerships. These partnerships play a key role in relation to poverty reduction in Northern Ireland.

• Some of the roles undertaken by these partnerships include:
• Promoting community-based cooperation to drive renewal.
• Working together within communities to draft Vision Statements and medium-term plans of action.
• Ensuring that these plans come to fruition.
• Finding out where support is needed most and distributing resources accordingly.

This scheme has done a great deal to aid people in working class areas. It has helped provide these areas with increased funding in facilities. For example, the Twinbrook area of West Belfast received a new family center worth £2.1 million through this scheme. This one example of the many ways in which the scheme has aided poverty reduction in Northern Ireland in recent years.

Lifetime Opportunities

In 2006, the executive launched a policy of poverty reduction in Northern Ireland. They also set out the goal of promoting social inclusion. 

Lifetime Opportunities is a framework by which to investigate the causes of poverty and tackle it at its roots. Their studies have shown that conditions are improving. In relation to the U.K. as a whole where 18% live in “absolute poverty,” that figure is 14% for Northern Ireland.

Their 2022/23 studies have highlighted where work needs to be done to combat poverty. Compared to the U.K. as a whole where the median household income fell by 1%, it fell by 5% in Northern Ireland.

– Cian Mortimer

Cian is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels