President Launches Centre for Longitudinal Studies in Ireland

April 04, 2012

News
Health and Quality of Life

The Centre for Longitudinal Studies in Ireland, a joint Initiative between the ESRI and Trinity College Dublin, is launched by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins on 4th April 2012.

The Centre for Longitudinal Studies in Ireland, a joint Initiative between the ESRI and Trinity College Dublin, will be launched by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins at 4.30pm, today, Wednesday 4th April 2012. The launch will be followed by the Centre’s inaugural lecture given by Prof. James Banks of the University of Manchester on the theme of: “Improving Knowledge and Policy: The Importance of Longitudinal Analysis” Like many other developed countries, Ireland has invested heavily in recent years in the collection of ‘longitudinal’ social science data to make sure that we find better answers and solutions to important social and economic questions. Longitudinal data are very powerful as they follow the same participants over time and thus provide a real world data set to study complex social and economic issues across a range of policy areas from health to education, social inclusion to pensions. The largest and most important of these studies in Ireland have included families with young children as well as studies of persons over 50 years of age:

  • Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) is following close to 20,000 children from two cohorts of children (one from nine months and the second from nine years); these children have been re-surveyed at ages 3 and 13.
  • The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA) is following over 8,400 individuals aged 50+. Collection of the first wave of data was completed in 2010 and the second wave will be collected in late 2012.

The Centre for Longitudinal Studies in Ireland (CLSI), launched today, has been established:

  • To promote evidence-based public policy-making in Ireland, drawing particularly on longitudinal data.
  • To help Irish researchers develop the conceptual and methodological skills necessary to analyse these important data.

The CLSI is one of the key initiatives under the strategic partnership between Trinity College Dublin and the Economic and Social Research Institute. These cutting edge data combined with new statistical methodologies can help provide a sound evidence base that will ensure that current and future public policy is effective and represents good value for money for citizens. GUI and TILDA have already contributed to policy development by:

  • Improving ways to prevent heart disease, stroke, falls and dementia.
  • Understanding the role of early nutrition in child obesity risk.
  • Improving teaching practices to maximize educational development.

Dr Patrick Prendergast, Provost, TCD said that: “GUI and TILDA make Trinity, and Ireland, a first port of call for researchers all over the world seeking information on childhood and ageing. Taking a leading international role in cutting edge research increases our country’s potential for creating highly skilled jobs and valuable technologies, thus contributing to Ireland’s development as an innovation hub.” Prof. Frances Ruane, Director of the ESRI commented in her address that: “High quality, longitudinal data are an essential tool for policy making in today’s world. Now, perhaps more than ever, Ireland needs to have the evidence that tells us what works, why it works, how it could work better and whether it is value for money. The CLSI will help Ireland get the answers we need and be an invaluable support to Irish economic and social renewal” Prof. James Banks, Advisor on pension reform to the UK Government said before giving the inaugural lecture: “Longitudinal studies, in some form or other, have become a large and invaluable component of the research infrastructure in both the UK and the US. The establishment of the CLSI to support and promote the development and use of longitudinal data for evidence based policy in Ireland is to be welcomed.” Investment in TILDA and GUI is already contributing to international debate on important questions across a large number of disciplines and increasing the potential for creating new, high skilled jobs and valuable technologies for the future.

Notes for Editors: The launch and inaugural lecture will be held at the Science Gallery, The Naughton Institute, Trinity College, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 at 4.30pm, today, Wednesday 4th April 2012. For directions see http://www.sciencegallery.com/find_us. Regretfully, car parking is not available on campus.