4,000 children under nine have mobile phones

A new survey has revealed that more than 4,000 children under the age of nine living in Ireland have a mobile phone.

The figures are contained in the first "Growing Up in Ireland" survey which has been conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute.

It also reveals that 19% of the 8,500 children under the age of nine who were surveyed live in one-parent families, while 65% of them spend between one and three hours every day watching television.

One third of mothers (34%) and half of fathers (50%) felt the amount of time they spent with their family was adversely impacted upon by their work commitments. However, almost all parents reported their child was in good health with 74% rating their child as "very healthy" and 25% rating their child as "healthy, but a few minor problems".

When asked about their educational aspiration for their child, more than 70% of parents expected their child to reach degree level. Less than 1% expected their child to leave the educational system at Junior Cert stage.

Professor James Williams of the ESRI said the figures show that the structure of the traditional Irish family is changing.

Meanwhile, work is also continuing on 'Growing Up in Ireland - the Infant Cohort' which includes 11,000 nine-month-old infants and their families.

Fieldwork with these families began in September 2008 and was completed in April. The data is now being analysed. These infants and their families will be revisited when they are thee years old.