“For a rich country like Ireland, it is unacceptable that so many people are going without basics,” said Kieran Stafford, National President, SVP.

The SVP is calling on government to introduce an interest rate cap that reduces the total cost of credit that moneylenders can legally charge.

“Back-to-school this week has been a really exciting time for lots of children and their parents. But for many low income and struggling households, the preparation for the new school year has been a huge source of stress and anxiety”.