Baby boom due as birth rate jumps almost 10% in 12 months

IRELAND could be set for another baby boom as figures show the number of births during the first half of 2008 was up almost 10% on the year before.

New data published by the Central Statistics Office indicates that 2008 is likely to show the highest birth rate since the 1980s.

The latest CSO Vital Statistics report shows that 38,173 children were born in the first half of last year — an increase of 3,573 over the same period in 2007.