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Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Why many women are deciding not to have a child
A new National Women's Health Survey, commissioned by the Irish Examiner and carried out by market researchers Ipsos B&A, found that, among women who are currently pregnant or who have had a child, one in five experienced fertility difficulties. Four in five of these women sought medical advice in relation to their infertility or their partner's, while 52% underwent fertility treatment such as IVF. A total of 1,078 women aged 18 and above responded to the survey. While 45% of the women who had had a child said they plan to have another, 49% said they don't want to. Galway woman Serena Matthew, who is in her early 40s, falls into that cohort: 'Two children were always in my head as an [ideal] number. I now have an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. My husband would have loved a third, but we decided that after our second, it just wasn't an option.' Their decision was based on their finances. 'We saw the cost involved in bringing up two children. We've a four-bed house and the fourth bedroom is small, so we didn't have the space. Moving wasn't an option with prices going up. Two is what we could handle. We didn't want to put ourselves in a difficult position financially.' Matthew is not alone in her position. More than one in three National Women's Health Survey respondents report not feeling financially in a position to have a child, or another child. 11% disagree, and a large number 'don't know' or are unsure. Dr Dora Tuda, an ESRI research officer is not surprised by the finding that one-quarter of all women say they have delayed, or will delay, having children until they have reached certain financial or career goals — a thinking more characteristic of middle-class women. Tuda points out that nowadays, in Ireland, the EU and the US, more women than men hold a third-level degree: 'In Europe in 2022, 48% of women held a third-level degree compared to 37% of men. Why do people get a higher-level degree? To get a better job, a higher income. So if women are considering having a child, they also need to think about leaving the labour market for a while, which corresponds to some income loss.' While acknowledging that it sounds harsh, Tuda highlights what economists refer to as a 'child penalty' — the pay cut that having a child involves and that falls disproportionately on women. 'Even in Scandinavian countries — [considered] more 'equal' than other countries — women on average experience a 20% income loss after having a child compared to men with the same experience and qualifications. This is because of maternity leave — once they return to work, it takes time to catch up. They may lose chances of promotion.' Dr Dora Tuda, a research officer with the ESRI. Equality in leave In Ireland, parental leave is set up so women are more likely to take leave after having a child — 26 weeks paid maternity leave compared to two weeks paid paternity leave for fathers. 'The system is [such] that the income loss from having a child is taken on by women and not equally between men and women,' says Tuda, adding that Norway — and more recently Spain — are taking steps to counteract this. 'Spain has introduced a mandatory equal parental leave for both parents — they're each given six months. The mother takes the first six months, after which she returns to work, and the second parent takes the next six months. If the second parent doesn't take it, the leave goes away.' That more than one in three women here don't feel, financially, they could have a child, or another child, is also put in context, says Tuda, by the rising cost of child-rearing. 'Recent estimates from Laya Life say to raise a child up to age 21 costs €169,000.' However, delaying having children is not all down to cost. 'People are spending longer in education compared to earlier. They're also taking longer to reach job stability. Gap years abroad, unpaid internships — all valid decisions young people take to get ahead, to have better opportunities when seeking a more stable permanent job, but it also delays having children.' As do housing challenges — Tuda points out that in 10 years, the median age of buyers taking out residential property mortgages climbed by four years. 'In 2010, the median age was 33 years. In 2021, it was 37. Being older when buying property can automatically delay starting a family.' In the mix, too, says Tuda, is a sense of changing cultural norms — a move towards smaller families or even remaining childless. 'You hear this more often than you did 20 years ago.' Bonnie O'Halloran: 'One friend wants children with her boyfriend. But most people my age feel similarly to me. They don't fear pregnancy as I do — they focus more on the climate and financial aspect. None of us has stable enough careers to consider having kids. Most of us still live with our parents.' Picture: Moya Nolan Not wanting a child Of respondents to the National Women's Health Survey, who are aged under 50 and who have not yet had a child, 37% said it is unlikely they will have a child, and one-fifth are adamant they won't. One of these respondents — 25-year-old Bonnie O'Halloran from Naas — explains why, for a variety of reasons, she does not want to have children. For one, she suspects she has endometriosis — there is a family history — and she fears what pregnancy will do to her body. 'I've not wanted kids for as long as I can remember. Being a woman, it's said to you a lot — 'when will you have kids?' When you say you don't want that, you're told 'you will when you're older'. That didn't happen for me. My youngest brother was born when I was 11. I got to watch him growing up, and the responsibility of being there for another human being isn't something I wanted for myself.' 'I also saw what parenting did to my parents, not in any horrible way, but the things they had to give up. My mum went to college when she was 40 and I'm really proud of that but she couldn't do it sooner. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself.' Yet O'Halloran, who has a degree in illustration and currently works as a substitute teacher, loves children and thinks she might adopt when she's in her 40s. But she also sees the world's current political atmosphere, as well as climate and financial realities, as factors in deciding not to have children — a feeling she says many of her peers share: 'One friend wants children with her boyfriend. But most people my age feel similarly to me. They don't fear pregnancy as I do — they focus more on the climate and financial aspect. None of us has stable enough careers to consider having kids. Most of us still live with our parents.' While a recent CSO report indicates that our fertility rate is declining, Tuda confirms that, at 1.55 births per woman, it remains above the European average of 1.46. Among the under-50 survey respondents, who have yet to start a family, about two in five say they are 'definitely' or 'very likely' going to do so, with a further 10% saying they are 'quite likely'. Click here to read our National Women's Health Survey. The Irish Examiner Women's Health Survey 2025 Ipsos B&A designed and implemented a research project for the Irish Examiner involving a nationally representative sample of n=1,078 women over the age of 16 years. The study was undertaken online with fieldwork conducted between April 30 and May 15, 2025. The sample was quota controlled by age, socio-economic class, region and area of residence to reflect the known profile of women in Ireland based on the census of population and industry agreed guidelines. Ipsos B&A has strict quality control measures in place to ensure robust and reliable findings; results based on the full sample carry a margin of error of +/-2.8%. In other words, if the research was repeated identically results would be expected to lie within this range on 19 occasions out of 20. A variety of aspects were assessed in relation to women's health including fertility, birth, menopause, mental health, health behaviour, and alcohol consumption.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Put down your smartphones if you want to help your children, ESRI tells parents
Irish parents' overuse of smartphones is damaging their children's mental health, a new report from the ESRI says.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Child Benefit rates will not be cut to fund a second rate for less well-off families
A two-tier children's allowance payment would cost €773m, an Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection heard yesterday, and would help to lift 55,000 children out of poverty. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said on Monday that two rates of the benefit are being considered and that 'nothing is off the table' when it comes to a more targeted Child Benefit payment. 'We are looking for more targeted responses on the child poverty issue,' he said. Government sources indicated last night that there would be no question of reducing the universal €140 rate to fund the new top-up rate. Child Benefit was cut in 2010 to €140 a month and while one-off double payments have been made, the rate has not increased in 14 years. The history of Child Benefit being cut during the recession has resulted in some 'anxiety' among parents that it would be cut again, according to a source, but another cut to the universal rate would not be politically viable now. 'It is not 2010, and while we had some cover to do it then, we definitely wouldn't have the cover to do it now,' a source said. Meanwhile, one government TD is calling for children with a disability to be included in any second-tier payment. Fianna Fáil's Catherine Ardagh said there are 'huge costs' to raising a child with a disability and that including them in a top-up payment is 'the right thing to do'. She said additional costs can include a range of therapies that many families have to pay for privately, but also additional activities or separate days out from the rest of the family to suit a child's needs. The Dublin South-West TD said the new second-tier payment needs to be introduced 'as a matter of urgency', but more senior sources suggest that it is not guaranteed in next year's Budget and may well be the following year. The ESRI recommended the second-tier payment as a way of reducing child poverty. Over 100,000 children in Ireland live in consistent poverty. About half are children of lone parents or parents with a disability. The ESRI's Karina Doorley said that the welfare system is the best way to reduce child poverty.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Demand for GP consultations to increase by 23 per cent by 2040
New research projects that the demand for general practitioner (GP) consultations will increase by at least 23 per cent by 2040, reflecting continued population growth. The new report released by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) considers a range of scenarios based on varying assumptions about population growth and ageing, the pace of healthy ageing, and policy reforms. Advertisement The rising demand for general practice services is largely driven by population growth and, to a lesser extent, population ageing. Ireland's population is projected to increase from 5.3 million in 2023 to between 5.9 and 6.3 million by 2040, with the range reflecting differing assumptions on future migration trends. The proportion of the population aged under 25 will decrease while the proportion aged 50 and over will increase. While all age groups use general practice services, utilisation tends to increase with age. GP consultations are projected to grow from 19.4 million in 2023 to between 23.9 million and 25.2 million by 2040, growth of between 23 and 30 per cent. Advertisement Requirements for an additional 943 to 1,211 GPs by 2040 are projected, relative to a 2023 headcount of 3,928 GPs. General practice nurse consultations are projected to grow from 5.7 million in 2023 to between 7.5 million and 7.8 million by 2040, growth of between 32 and 36 per cent. Requirements for an additional 761 to 868 general practice nurses by 2040 are projected, relative to a 2023 headcount of 2,288 GPNs. Growing demand The Irish College of GPs welcomed the research by the ESRI and said it is aware of the growing demand for GP services. Advertisement The chair of the board of the Irish College of GPs, Dr Deirdre Collins, said: 'We are acutely aware of the impact of the growing population, and the ageing population, on GP services. T "his ESRI report is welcome, because it helps give fresh insights into the challenges facing policy makers and the HSE in meeting the growing demand for GP services.' The chief executive of the Irish College of GPs, Fintan Foy, said: 'The ESRI report paints a stark picture of the impact of the growing population on GP demand in the coming years. "With the support of the HSE and the Department of Health, we remain positive that we can continue to address the challenges of GP shortages. We hope that the resources needed to ensure GPs can set up in areas of new population and where GPs are retiring, can be available when needed. "We believe the Strategic Review of General Practice needs to be expedited to ensure we can put long term plans in place to meet the growing healthcare needs of the Irish population.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Over 900 extra GPs needed over 15 years to meet demand
At least 940 additional general practitioners will be required to meet expected demand over the next 15 years, according to research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). It says a growing, and to a lesser extent, an ageing population, is behind the reasons for the projected increase in demand for GP services of between 23% and 30% by 2040. It is also expected that demand for general practice nurses will rise in that timeframe. GP Chair of the Irish Medical Organisation, and GP in Kilkenny, Tadhg Crowley, has said Covid-19 interrupted medical practice and made it busier, but things are returning to what is normal. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said general practice is a "great career option" but has "not been seen in this way" in recent years. "It's a great job. Anyone who's considering medicine, I'd always say general practice is a fabulous job to be in. We're facing challenges and ... some of the challenges are age related," he said. Dr Crowley said the sector had a generation of GPs or prospective GPs, wiped out by the Financial Emergency Measures in Public Interests (FEMPI) cuts about 15 years ago, which put people off going into general practice. "So we're starting recovering from that. In terms of job satisfaction, it's still a fabulous job, but I suppose we are facing challenges," he added. He said that Ireland is facing the same problems that the UK faced about 20 years ago and "they got it wrong" and the NHS is failing at general practice level. Dr Crowley said the Government needs to carefully handle the situation to avoid that scenario. "We're facing the challenges that the UK faced 20 years ago, so it's going to be really important to have steady hands in the Department of Health and Government. The UK got it wrong. "The NHS has been destroyed in general practice. And it's really important at this stage that we look at A; the number of medical doctors we trained and B: the number of GPs that we train," he said. Dr Crowley stressed that 40% of GPs are aged over 60 and the country is at a stage in terms of the GP population "that we are facing a crisis and the number of people that will come through there". He said as a result, the number of GP training posts has increased to 350, however it is "not going to come close to the number of GPs that we need in the long term". He said GPs are "at a crossroads" and will have to increase the number of undergraduates trained. "If you don't train enough GPs, what you have is, and we've seen this in other countries, these pop-up medical clinics that have employed doctors that aren't actually GPs," he added. Dr Crowley said the long-term effect in the population is "quite poor". He added that it is a competitive market worldwide for GPs and it is incumbent on those working in the health service to make it an attractive option for graduates. "It is a competitive market worldwide for doctors and I suppose it's incumbent on those working within the health system here to make sure that it's an attractive area for GPs to come back to. "And one of the areas, it's very difficult to set up and practice as a young GP and it's something that I think the Government really need to focus down on," he said. "It's the canary in the mine in terms of general practice, the number of GP lists that are being unfilled at the moment is something that will need to be looked at."
