ESRI Newsletter November 2025
Early childhood education often dominates research and media discussions, but school-age childcare receives far less attention. Our latest report, published with the Department for Children, Disability and Equality, finds that participation in afterschool clubs is more common among higher-income families, and this gap is widening. For many less advantaged families, care from relatives remains a vital support. The report launch video is available on our YouTube channel.
We also examined loneliness among adults in Ireland and its links to mental health. Loneliness is now recognised as a major public health issue. Encouragingly, reported loneliness has declined since the pandemic. However, people with fewer social supports, mental health challenges, or certain life circumstances, such as unemployment or being single, remain significantly more likely to experience frequent loneliness.
Looking at health policy, we have published the final two reports in our six-part series projecting future demand and capacity for health and social care services at both national and HSE regional levels. Demand is expected to increase across all services, with the sharpest growth in services used mainly by older people. Funded by the Department of Health, these findings give policymakers a strong evidence base to plan for a health system that meets the needs of Ireland’s growing and ageing population. We will discuss these findings, challenges, and potential policy options at a half-day event at the ESRI on 10 December. You can register below.
Like many organisations, December is shaping up to be a busy month. We will release our Quarterly Economic Commentary: Winter 2025, including a Special Article on the distributional impacts of Budget 2026. We will also publish our highly anticipated Economic Outlook, which uses an ESRI model to map the potential path of Ireland’s economy over the medium to long term.
Regards,
Professor Martina Lawless
Director