PART 1: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS

Non-Irish National Children

Children of different races and ethnicities experience difficulties integrating into schools 4 and communities.5

Measure

The number of non-Irish national children.

Key findings

  • In 2006, 62,800 children under 18 years of age were non-Irish nationals, representing 6.1% of the total child population of Ireland (see Table 12).

Table 12: Non-Irish national children, by gender and age (2006)


 Boys Girls Total
Age No. % No. % No. %
0-4 years 6,726 4.4 6,570 4.5 13,296 4.4
5-9 years 10,341 7.0 9,831 7.0 20,172 7.0
10-14 years 9,607 6.9 9,425 7.1 19,032 7.0
15-17 years 5,161 5.9 5,139 6.2 10,300 6.0
Total 31,835 6.0 30,965 6.2 62,800 6.1

Source: Census of the Population, CSO

  • The number of non-Irish national children has increased by 57.6%, from 39,838 in 2002 to 62,800 in 2006 (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Number of non-Irish national children, by age (2002 and 2006)

Figure 3

Source: Census of the Population, CSO

  • In 2006, nearly 30% (17,751) of non-Irish national children lived in Dublin and a further 10% (6,284) in Cork (see Table 13).

Table 13: Number of non-Irish national children, by county (2006)

County Total children Non-Irish national children Non-Irish national children as % of
all children
Carlow 12,697 752 5.9
Cavan 17,071 1,096 6.4
Clare 28,547 1,858 6.5
Cork 115,778 6,284 5.4
Donegal 40,006 2,195 5.5
Dublin 259,029 17,751 6.9
Galway 54,913 3,763 6.9
Kerry 32,813 2,390 7.3
Kildare 50,475 3,028 6.0
Kilkenny 22,557 996 4.4
Laois 18,058 1,043 5.8
Leitrim 7,109 571 8.0
Limerick 43,191 1,996 4.6
Longford 8,933 638 7.1
Louth 29,165 1,786 6.1
Mayo 30,880 2,083 6.7
Meath 44,590 2,521 5.7
Monaghan 14,441 961 6.7
Offaly 18,986 935 4.9
Roscommon 14,510 1,077 7.4
Sligo 14,509 797 5.5
Tipperary 37,918 2,065 5.4
Waterford 26,776 1,476 5.5
Westmeath 20,842 1,360 6.5
Wexford 34,765 1,744 5.0
Wicklow 32,363 1,634 5.0
State 1,030,832 62,800 6.1

Source: Census of the Population, CSO

  • In 2006, nearly one-third (31.9%) of non-Irish national children reported their nationality as British or Northern Irish (see Table 14). Polish was the next most common nationality (8.2% of the total).The only other national minorities with more than 5% of the total number of non-Irish national children were Nigerians, Americans and Lithuanians.

Table 14: Number of non-Irish national children, by nationality (2006)

Nationality No. %
Australia 677 1.1
France

666

 1.1
Germany 1,024 1.6
India 1,232 2.0
Latvia 1,459 2.3
Lithuania 3,179 5.1
Nigeria 4,687 7.5
Other 14,466 23.0
Pakistan 1,101 1.8
Philippines 1,731 2.8
Poland 5,171 8.2
Romania 1,297 2.1
Russia 783 1.2
South Africa 1,186 1.9
United Kingdom 20,010 31.9
USA 4,131 6.6
Total 62,800 100.0

Technical notes
The definition of children includes all people under 18 years of age when the data was collected. Figures refer to all people usually resident within the State on Census night in 2006 and present in private and communal establishments. Those with dual Irish, not stated, or dual Irish-Other nationality have been excluded from the figures in the tables and graphs.

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4 Keogh, A.F. and Whyte, J. (2003) Getting On: The Experiences and Aspirations of Immigrant Students in Second-level Schools linked to Trinity Access Programmes. Dublin: Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin.

5 Guerin, P. (2003) Building Solidarity across Communities. Dublin, South West Inner City Network.