Ireland the tenth best country to be a child - UNICEF report

Ireland is the tenth best country to be a child in a list of 29 industrialised nations.

A UNICEF report has found there has been a significant reduction in the amount of children smoking, with more modest declines in drinking and teenage pregnancies.

The report also shows that 86% of children here are happy with their lives

The Netherlands, Norway, and Iceland are top of the list while bottom of the table are Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.

Peter Power from UNICEF Ireland said the research considered a wide range of factors.

"The report does show that its not just about money, we are 17th in terms of material well-being, but we rank much higher in other factors which effect children's well-being," he said.

Experts will meet today in Dublin to discuss the importance of fighting child poverty in a two-day event to promote child well-being.

More than 50 experts from nine European countries are travelling to Dublin for the event.

Ireland has a relatively low poverty rate at 8.5 % but those who do fall below the poverty line are poorer than in other countries, giving Ireland one of the largest poverty gaps.

Acting chief executive of the Children's Rights Alliance Maria Corbet, said it was time more was done to break the cycle of child poverty.

"The recommendation sets out a whole range of issues including how governments must ensure that there is employment and that work pays", she said.

"And that we also get the balance right between investing in income supports and also providing good quality services".