More than one in six Irish households are paying private health bills they can’t afford, a study has revealed.
The research found unaffordable spending increased from 15% in 2009/2010 at the height of the recession to nearly 19% in 2015/2016.
The Trinity College study found more than 20% of households had medical cards but were also paying out for private health insurance.
The researchers said shortcomings in the public system are also important factors behind the spending on private policies by people living on the poverty line.
Health economist Dr Bridget Johnston, one of the authors of the paper, said it shows some people in poverty feel they have to have private health insurance.
She added: “Poorer people are spending a lot more on private health insurance relative to their ability to pay than richer households.
“There is something going on here that the poorest households in Ireland feel it is absolutely necessary to spend large proportion of their household consumption on these types of things.
