The report's main findings.
PARENTS
Some 77 per cent of Irish children found it easy to talk to their mother when something was really bothering them. Ireland ranked 27th among 35 countries. Some 56 per cent reported that it was easy to talk to their fathers.
CRIME
More than 17,500 children aged seven to 17 were referred to An Garda Síochána's juvenile diversion/liaison programme in 2005, with one in five referrals for alcohol-related offences. About 21 per cent referred were female. Some 70 per cent of referrals were in the 15-17 age group.
DRUGS
Some 40 per cent of 15-year-olds reported in 2003 that they had used an illicit drug at least once. Irish girls ranked highest for drug use among 36 countries surveyed. Almost one in ten 15-year-olds was also reported to have used an illicit drug, other than marijuana, in their lifetime.
ALCOHOL
Irish 15-year-olds had the third-highest rate of binge-drinking and illicit drug use in a European schools survey. In 2003, 57 per cent of 15-year-olds were reported to have had five or more drinks in a row in the past 30 days. Girls reporting this rose from 42 per cent in 1995 to 57 per cent in 2003.
CIGARETTES
Some 6.7 per cent of children aged 11, 13 and 15 said they smoked cigarettes daily in 2002 - 24th highest out of 35 countries surveyed. Some 13 per cent aged 10 to 17 reported smoking every week, with higher rates among older children and those from lower social classes.
SUICIDE
There were 18 deaths by suicide among children aged under 18 in 2004, accounting for 22 per cent of all deaths in the 10-17 age group, with more boys than girls affected.
HAPPINESS
In 2002, 89.5 per cent of children reported that they were happy with their life at the time. Some 85 per cent were also reported to have three or more friends of the same gender, placing Irish 11, 13 and 15-year-olds first among 35 countries surveyed.
EDUCATION
Irish 15-year-olds were fifth out of 29 OECD countries for reading in 2003; in maths and science they were average. Girls' reading scores were significantly higher than boys', but boys were better at maths.There was little difference between the two in science.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Some 1,761 children were on hospital waiting lists for treatment in April last year, with more than one in four waiting a year or more for treatment. Approximately three-quarters of all children waiting for treatment were doing so at hospitals in the Dublin area.
BULLYING
Some 25.9 per cent of children aged 11, 13 or 15 in 2002 had been bullied in the previous couple of months, compared with an average of 33.5 per cent in the other countries surveyed. Boys were found to be more likely to report being bullied than girls.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Some 47 per cent of all children reported in 2002 that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on more than four days per week, with Irish 11, 13 and 15-year-olds ranked second out of 34 countries.
Source: State of the Nation's Children