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07-Apr-08 11:15 [Research]
Irish pensioners 'likely to fall into poverty' Irish pensioners are among the most likely to fall into poverty in Europe, according to a new report.
Research from the EU's statistical service Eurostat has revealed that Ireland is behind eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and Estonia.
Eamon Timmins, of Age Action Ireland, said: "It shouldn't come as any surprise. The only way we can tackle this is to increase the state pension. If you're depending on the state pension, then you're looking at a very meagre standard of life."
According to the statistics, 27 per cent of people over the age of 65 are at risk of falling into poverty, although there are still four countries which are lower in the rankings; Spain, Cyprus, Latvia and the UK.
People in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic have the best chances of avoiding poverty, with only six per cent of people in dangers of falling into poverty when they are over 65.
Age Action Ireland is an independent, national organisation on ageing and older people.
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