Govt to conduct €24m study of children

Govt to conduct €24m study of children
January 10, 2007 11:09

The Government is to undertake the largest-ever study of Irish children, following their lives for seven years.
The €24m project, called Growing Up in Ireland, will track the progress of 8,000 nine-year-olds and 10,000 babies.
The ESRI and Trinity College, Dublin, will carry out the research, which aims to paint a picture of childhood in Ireland.
Information will be used to formulate child policy and provide services.
Children will be selected randomly through the national school system and the child benefit register.
Initially, a group of 8,000 nine-year-olds will be surveyed and they will be revisited when they are 13.
At the same time, information will be gathered on 10,000 babies who will be studied again when they are three years old.
Researchers will focus on the children's health, education, social development and family life. They will get information from the children themselves as well as parents and teachers.
The Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan, has urged all selected schools and families to take part in the work.
All the information gathered will be confidential.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0110/children