Child poverty almost doubled during the recession, a new report has found.

A report on economic inequality, which is being launched later today, claims that one in eight children in Ireland are now living in consistent poverty.

The think-tank TASC also said that single-parent households are most deprived.

The report has found a link between income and education standards, stating that a mere 1% increase in household income can improve a nine-year-old’s reading score by over 5%.

One of the report’s authors, Dr Rory Hearne, said: “What we’re showing in the report is that inequality affects children severely in Ireland and that those at the bottom are really being left out and are suffering many effects.

“The children, a significant proportion of our children in this country, do not have the ability to flourish equally as children form better income backgrounds.”