40% (11k) of city children are poor

The Minister revealed that nearly a tenth of the 103,600 children living below the poverty line in Northern Ireland are from Londonderry. Whilst the percentage here is 40 per cent the Northern Ireland average is 24 per cent.

In East Londonderry 5,100 children (23 per cent) and in West Tyrone 6,100 children (25 per cent) are living below the poverty line.

Mr McCausland outlined the staggering figures in response to an Assembly Question.

A report by the Save the Children charity published earlier this year pointed to regional inequality within Northern Ireland.

‘Severe Child Poverty in Northern Ireland’ stated: “Within Northern Ireland the impact of the recession has been geographically uneven with a disproportionate impact on certain areas with historically high claimant rates (such as the Belfast, Derry, Limavady and Strabane district council areas).

“The historical lack of investment in infrastructure west of the Bann is the subject of the draft Regional Development Strategy which sets out the framework for spatial development until 2025.

“It outlines the need to redress this regional disparity coupled with persistent areas of socio-economic deprivation. It also outlines measures on transport, energy, the location of jobs and houses.

“In light of the findings about the high proportion of children in severe child poverty in the west, it is clear that the regional strategy should be aligned more closely with the child poverty strategy.”

Save the Children said public sector job losses and changes to benefits in the coming years could increase severe child poverty, especially in those areas with high levels of deprivation.

“At a time of public spending cuts and public sector job losses it is crucial that both the UK and Northern Irish governments support economic development and local job market recovery in areas of high severe child poverty,” the report stated.

It said poor children missed out on things like school trips and hobbies and that this was affecting their educational and social development and excluding the from society.

“Parents in severe poverty are managing very tight budgets and don’t have enough money for things like household contents insurance, repairing a broken

refrigerator or washing machine or saving a small amount each month.

“Families in severe poverty are getting by on less than £134 per week for a lone parent with one child and less than £240 per week for a couple with two children.

“They can ill afford the forthcoming cuts to welfare, nor the recent increases in VAT and inflation,” the report said.