Ireland’s birth rate has passed its peak with fewer children born every year since the 2009 peak, figures show.

IRELAND had the highest birth rate of any of the 27 EU countries in 2008, at 17.0 per 1,000 population, according to statistics released by the Economic and Social Research Unit (ESRI).

FIRST-TIME mothers are getting older, caesarean rates continue to grow and our breastfeeding rate is inching upwards, statistics by the Economic and Social Research Unit (ESRI) show.

ONE-IN-FOUR births in Ireland are delivered via Caesarean section, new figures show.