Ireland's Social Welfare and Pension system is less effective at tackling poverty than any other EU country, according to new statistics.
The figures, published by the Central Statistics Office for the Social Partners, show that Ireland has the third highest risk of persistent poverty in the European Union.
The new compendium of statistics, which will be updated annually, also show that Ireland has the oldest average exit age from the workforce but the lowest level of life expectancy in the EU.

