Irish top survey for family life satisfaction

IRISH people are among the most satisfied in Europe with their family life, and most say they find it easy to combine their home and work life.

However, the high cost of housing, childcare and looking after elderly relatives are the biggest burdens they face in daily life.

While just one-fifth of those questioned said they have problems arranging for good quality childcare, this was the second highest percentage of any EU country.

Most people said a creche was the best way of having young children cared for while their parents were at work, though for those with more than one child they preferred if the mother could stay at home or have a part-time job.

Most believed that for pre-school children the best arrangement was if the mother could stay at home or if the grandparents or other relatives could look after them.

About 30% thought having the father look after them at home was a good idea.

More than 25% thought that having an au pair or in-house child minder was a good solution, though this tended to be the opinion of wealthier families, according to the EU survey.

Many thought it would be most helpful if there was easier access to part-time work for one parent, though the biggest percentage thought the ideal was if one parent could stay at home full-time.

The Irish were among the most satisfied with state support for families with children, although there was a lot of support for increased child allowances and tax breaks for families.

They were also among the happiest when it came to support for those caring for dependent older relatives, with 47% expressing satisfaction compared to an EU average of 28%. But almost two-thirds thought giving people paid leave to look after elderly relatives should be a priority.