merrion street

Frances Fitzgerald T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today announced an extension of Growing Up in Ireland, the National Longitudinal Study of Children. Minister Fitzgerald stated "The Growing Up in Ireland study is providing us with essential and invaluable data about the life experiences of our children. I am delighted to announce that funding has been secured to collect data about children at one of the most important transitions in their lives, the start of primary schooling.

We know that a smooth transition is very important for children’s future physical, emotional and cognitive development and this research will help us to identify the ways in which children can be supported at this time. Importantly, it will also allow us to address a range of central policy questions including the effects of school entry age on child outcomes and the impact of policy interventions, in particular the universal free pre-school.

I am delighted that the Economic and Social Research Institute and Trinity College Dublin will continue to lead the Consortium undertaking this research. Both have a long history of research on a range of policy-relevant issues concerning children and their families".

has been following the development of almost 20,000 children in Ireland across two cohorts: an infant cohort recruited at nine-months; and a child cohort recruited at nine years. The infant cohort children (with their families) have been interviewed at 9 months and 3 years of age. The child cohort children (also with their families) have been interviewed at 9 and 13 years of age.

From September 2012, the infant cohort children, who are about to turn five years old, will start primary schooling and the extension of Growing Up in Ireland announced today will capture that critical transition.

Professor James Williams (Economic and Social Research Institute), Principal Investigator of Growing Up in Ireland, welcomed the announcement. He said: ‘The team involved in Growing Up in Irelandis very pleased that this important work on childhood and children’s health and well-being is continuing. It is particularly important at this crucial phase of the child’s life. Growing Up in Ireland is a wonderful investment which will assist in developing effective policies and services for all children and families in Ireland today and into the future.

Growing Up in Ireland is a Government study funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in association with the Department of Social Protection and the Central Statistics Office. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is overseeing and managing the Study, which is being carried out by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin.