The provision of quality public services irrespective of people's incomes would be crucial to tackling poverty, the acting director of the Combat Poverty Agency has said.
Kevin O'Kelly, speaking at the publication of the agency's annual report yesterday, also said that while a number of strategies were now in place to address public service deficiencies, "there is a disconnect between policy and what actually happens on the ground".
Delivery on key plans, he said, would be crucial.
Poverty was not openly visible in the way it had been 20 years ago, he said.
"Instead, it is hidden and often results from multiple factors such as poor physical or mental health, educational disadvantage, low self-esteem and limited access to quality services that distinguish rich from poor."
Mr O'Kelly said that the worst affected were those not in a position to take up a job: older people, carers, lone parents, children, long-term unemployed and people who were sick or disabled.
Some 21 per cent of the population is at risk of poverty, compared with a European average of 16 per cent, while 7 per cent of the population (290,000) live in consistent poverty.
Ireland also has the third highest level of child poverty in the EU, just behind Spain and Portugal.
Consistent poverty is living on an income less that 50 per cent of the national average, and also living with key indicators such as not having a warm winter coat or not being able to afford a hot meal every day.
While consecutive budgets have increased spending on welfare, the report says if the national policy target of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016 is to be achieved it will be necessary to increase the availability of flexible and responsive public services.
Particularly mention was given to services in employment, education, health, housing, transport and childcare.
The report continues: "In modern Ireland public services are critical in tackling poverty and promoting social inclusion . . . [ Unless these are improved] we are in danger of reinforcing a two-tier society of those who can afford to pay for quicker access or supplementary services and those who can depend solely on an under-resourced and poorly-delivered public service."
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Martin Cullen said tackling poverty and social inclusion was being mainstreamed across Government departments.
"The recent National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007 to 2016 has reiterated its commitment to continue to reduce consistent poverty to between 2 per cent and 4 per cent by 2012 and finally eliminate it by 2016," Mr Cullen said.
"In this and the National Development Plan, the Government has set a number of high-level goals which we see as essential in making a decisive impact on poverty."
The report says the policy commitments referred to by the Minister "are set out in a number of key documents".
"What is now required is their effective delivery.
"This is a key challenge going forward. There is a need to support this work with strong, independent monitoring and evaluation systems . . . If we step up to meet that challenge then we can look forward to a 21st century free from the scourge of poverty."
