A new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found that the number of people in 'consistent' poverty in Ireland fell by two thirds between 1994 and 2001.
According to the report only 5% of people now have both less than 70% of the middle income, and are experiencing basic deprivation of key non-monetary items.
The ESRI study, however, also finds that the gap between the poor and the non-poor in Ireland widened substantially during the boom.
The study monitoring poverty trends in Ireland involved a survey of 6,500 people from more than 3,600 households in 2001.
It found a major improvement in the proportion of consistently poor people between 1994 and 2001. It is down by two thirds to 5% of the population from 15% in 1994.
Increases in social welfare payments, wages and other incomes - all well above the rate of inflation - as well as a huge drop in unemployment, were the main factors behind the improvement.
The ESRI defines 'consistent poverty' as having an income below 70% of the middle Irish income, and also experiencing deprivation of a number of key non-monetary resources.
These resources include items such as new rather than second hand clothes, a meal with meat, fish or chicken every second day, a warm waterproof overcoat, and two pairs of strong shoes.
However, the ESRI study also found that the gap in incomes between the poor and the non-poor increased steadily throughout the period.
This is because incomes from work and property rose much more strongly than social welfare payments.
Single person households - a group the ESRI says is dominated by elderly women - as well as households headed by people who are ill, disabled or on home duties have fallen furthest behind.
Households headed by the unemployed have also fared poorly but there has been a substantial fall in the numbers in that group.
