More support needed for disadvantaged children in Ireland

by Letizia Orlandi - 2013.03.08

For children with a disability and the children of immigrants, living in Ireland is not easy. They represent 8.3% and 5.8% respectively of the Irish population under the age of 18. Although most children in Ireland are happy, the latest national report on childhood has found there is a need for greater government focus on vulnerable children in three specific areas. The first area is education, where absenteeism in both primary and secondary schools is up to two times higher in disadvantaged areas. The second area that needs more attention is relationships with peers. Cases of bullying were reported by young children – 38% of nine year olds have been the victim of bullying in the past two months. The third area is physical and emotional health, where the report concludes that problems begin within the family. The report also found that 79% of children with disabilities do not communicate easily with their mother and that families are now eating around the table together on average just once a week.