The number of people living in poverty in the Republic of Ireland has reached a new high of 17.4 per cent, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In 2017, the country had the highest rate of the three major groups.
The figures, published in November, were compiled from interviews with nearly 2,000 people, as well as data on household income, household size, unemployment, and household consumption.
The highest rate was found in the Dublin area, where people living on the streets had the lowest rate of poverty.
This is despite the fact that a significant number of them have moved from the suburbs to the cities to seek work.
According to the figures, the median income of households living on St. Andrews Road in the city of Waterford was just €1,500.
In the inner city of Dublin, the number living in the most vulnerable category was one in five.
In comparison, in the southern city of Limerick, the rate of homelessness was only one in four.
In Limerick alone, the figure was one per five.
The poverty rate was also the highest in Northern Ireland, where only 17.7 per cent of households were poor in 2017, up from 18.4 percent in 2016.