DEASPRIA Research Projects

The study report, ‘A Minimum Income Standard for Ireland’, presents the results of a year-long research project which updated and produced new, costed minimum income standards as based upon minimum standards of living (MESLs) for a variety of Irish household types across the entire lifecycle.

The research is based upon a consensual budget approach, using focus groups together with expert input to establish essential standards of living for the entire population.

It builds upon considerable work in the UK on essential living standards and the consensual budget approach is now being used in a wide variety of countries.

This research contributed to two further developments, one on the ‘The Cost of A Child - A consensual budget standards study examining the direct cost of a child across childhood’ and to the Minimum Income Standard Calculator or MISc.

It is based on work by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice and is supported by MABS and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

It allows for the calculation of the amount of income needed for an essential standard of living for a number of household types.

It can be found here: www.MISc.ie.

Further information is also available on www.budgeting.ie.

​This study, conducted by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology in NUI Galway, explores the suitability of existing indicators for capturing older peoples’ experiences of deprivation.

Through focus group and in-depth interviews, the authors explore older peoples’ own views on deprivation and poverty and suggests alternative or additional indicators to better capture these.

The report is available here.

This was an exploratory study using qualitative methods which examined the nature of problem gambling in the Irish context.

The aims of the study were to:

• profile the main characteristics and components of problem gambling
• identify the trigger factors
• document impacts of problem gambling on the individual and on their family and social network
• review initiatives by the individual or their family/friends to address problem gambling, including the use of treatment services

Lone Parents and Activation, What Works and Why: A Review of the International Evidence in the Irish Context

This research aims to investigate best practice and innovative approaches to the labour market activation of lone parents in Ireland and internationally.

The study is in progress and is due to be finalised in 2016.

Supporting low income working families: Enabling Resilience

This study will examine the experiences and resilience practices of low-income families receiving Family Income Supplement (FIS) and other in-work supports.

Resilience is understood as families’ capacities to overcome difficulties faster than expected, or to adapt and cope in ways that lead to greater than expected levels of wellbeing.

The study is in progress and is due to be finalised in 2017.