A STUDY OF GENDER IN SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS IN IRELAND. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 66 DECEMBER 2017

Women make up the majority of those employed in the civil service but are underrepresented at the most senior grades, where key policy and operational decisions are taken. Action 8 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan commits to improving gender balance at each level, including senior grades. The present study was commissioned by a high-level steering group set up to oversee implementation of this action. It draws on a combination of administrative data, reanalysis of the Civil Service Employee Engagement Survey conducted in 2015, and in-depth work history interviews with 50 senior civil servants across four departments. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with staff involved in recruitment and promotion within the public service. This rich combination of data yields new insights into the processes shaping gender differences in representation at the most senior grades of the civil service and thus provides a strong evidence base to inform future policy and practice

School Leavers' Survey Report 2007

Since the late 1970s the Economic and Social Research Institute has conduced research on recent school leavers in the Republic of Ireland on behalf of various government departments. The School Leavers’ Survey has been in existence since it first surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 1978/1979. Since its inception, 24 surveys in all have been carried out either on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, until the most recent survey which surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 2004/2005. The information contained in the School Leavers’ Survey serves as a nationally representative data source lending itself well as an instrument for educational policy-making. Its social and scientific value lies in increasing our knowledge of young peoples’ experiences while at school and their experiences of the transition from second-level education to labour force participation, education or economic inactivity. The public good function of the School Leavers’ Survey has been reflected in the publication of widely accessible national reports published each year. In addition, the analysis of data has always been collaborative, involving various Government Departments and Agencies for more specific and/or in-depth analyses of topics of enquiry. Furthermore, it is used in comparative European research alongside School Leavers’ Surveys from other European countrie

EVALUATION OF PLC PROGRAMME PROVISION. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 61 JANUARY 2018

Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses represent the largest component of full-time further education and training (FET) provision in Ireland, with over 32,000 learners enrolled in such courses in 2015–2016. Recent research on the FET sector as a whole highlighted concerns around its structures and responsiveness to labour market conditions, among other issues (McGuinness et al., 2014). The SOLAS FET Strategy (2014) subsequently pointed to the need for a stronger evidence base in order to inform future policy development in the sector. This study, commissioned by SOLAS, provides a more detailed evaluation of PLC provision. In order to undertake a comprehensive evaluation, our approach has been to combine a variety of research modes in order to examine the underlying processes, experiences and outcomes of PLC provision. This involved three complementary research strands. Firstly, a desk-based analysis of administrative data was used to document the type of provision in terms of field of study and the distribution of PLC places across the country. Secondly, a survey of PLC principals was carried out in order to explore their perceptions of goals, adequacy of existing facilities and the benefits and challenges of PLC provision. Thirdly, a survey of PLC and Leaving Certificate leavers was conducted to assess their labour market outcomes as well as their experiences while taking PLC and higher education courses. Together, these strands provide comprehensive evidence to inform the future development of the sector

Primary Antifungal Prophylaxis in Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: Current Therapeutic Concepts

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90237/1/phco.29.11.1306.pd

The Role of Disability and Parental Expectations in Child Wellbeing. ESRI Research Bulletin 2016/X/X

Research has shown that the expectations parents hold for their children are important to children’s academic and socio-emotional development. Much of the research in this field has shown how socially disadvantaged parents or those from minority racial or ethnic groups hold lower expectations for their children, in terms of educational achievement or occupational attainment. There has been much less focus on the expectations parents hold for children with different types of disabilities and whether these expectations influence the development of these children, in part due to lack of data. This paper addresses that gap and goes on to ask whether the educational expectations mothers hold for their children at age 9 shape children’s academic and social wellbeing at age 13

Rating early child development outcome measurement tools for routine health programme use.

BACKGROUND: Identification of children at risk of developmental delay and/or impairment requires valid measurement of early child development (ECD). We systematically assess ECD measurement tools for accuracy and feasibility for use in routine services in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC). METHODS: Building on World Bank and peer-reviewed literature reviews, we identified available ECD measurement tools for children aged 0-3 years used in ≥1 LMIC and matrixed these according to when (child age) and what (ECD domains) they measure at population or individual level. Tools measuring <2 years and covering ≥3 developmental domains, including cognition, were rated for accuracy and feasibility criteria using a rating approach derived from Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. RESULTS: 61 tools were initially identified, 8% (n=5) population-level and 92% (n=56) individual-level screening or ability tests. Of these, 27 tools covering ≥3 domains beginning <2 years of age were selected for rating accuracy and feasibility. Recently developed population-level tools (n=2) rated highly overall, particularly in reliability, cultural adaptability, administration time and geographical uptake. Individual-level tool (n=25) ratings were variable, generally highest for reliability and lowest for accessibility, training, clinical relevance and geographical uptake. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Although multiple measurement tools exist, few are designed for multidomain ECD measurement in young children, especially in LMIC. No available tools rated strongly across all accuracy and feasibility criteria with accessibility, training requirements, clinical relevance and geographical uptake being poor for most tools. Further research is recommended to explore this gap in fit-for-purpose tools to monitor ECD in routine LMIC health services

School Leavers' Survey Report 2007

Since the late 1970s the Economic and Social Research Institute has conduced research on recent school leavers in the Republic of Ireland on behalf of various government departments. The School Leavers’ Survey has been in existence since it first surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 1978/1979. Since its inception, 24 surveys in all have been carried out either on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, until the most recent survey which surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 2004/2005. The information contained in the School Leavers’ Survey serves as a nationally representative data source lending itself well as an instrument for educational policy-making. Its social and scientific value lies in increasing our knowledge of young peoples’ experiences while at school and their experiences of the transition from second-level education to labour force participation, education or economic inactivity. The public good function of the School Leavers’ Survey has been reflected in the publication of widely accessible national reports published each year. In addition, the analysis of data has always been collaborative, involving various Government Departments and Agencies for more specific and/or in-depth analyses of topics of enquiry. Furthermore, it is used in comparative European research alongside School Leavers’ Surveys from other European countrie

School Leavers' Survey Report 2007

Since the late 1970s the Economic and Social Research Institute has conduced research on recent school leavers in the Republic of Ireland on behalf of various government departments. The School Leavers’ Survey has been in existence since it first surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 1978/1979. Since its inception, 24 surveys in all have been carried out either on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, until the most recent survey which surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 2004/2005. The information contained in the School Leavers’ Survey serves as a nationally representative data source lending itself well as an instrument for educational policy-making. Its social and scientific value lies in increasing our knowledge of young peoples’ experiences while at school and their experiences of the transition from second-level education to labour force participation, education or economic inactivity. The public good function of the School Leavers’ Survey has been reflected in the publication of widely accessible national reports published each year. In addition, the analysis of data has always been collaborative, involving various Government Departments and Agencies for more specific and/or in-depth analyses of topics of enquiry. Furthermore, it is used in comparative European research alongside School Leavers’ Surveys from other European countrie

School Leavers' Survey Report 2007

Since the late 1970s the Economic and Social Research Institute has conduced research on recent school leavers in the Republic of Ireland on behalf of various government departments. The School Leavers’ Survey has been in existence since it first surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 1978/1979. Since its inception, 24 surveys in all have been carried out either on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, until the most recent survey which surveyed young people who left the second-level education system in the academic year 2004/2005. The information contained in the School Leavers’ Survey serves as a nationally representative data source lending itself well as an instrument for educational policy-making. Its social and scientific value lies in increasing our knowledge of young peoples’ experiences while at school and their experiences of the transition from second-level education to labour force participation, education or economic inactivity. The public good function of the School Leavers’ Survey has been reflected in the publication of widely accessible national reports published each year. In addition, the analysis of data has always been collaborative, involving various Government Departments and Agencies for more specific and/or in-depth analyses of topics of enquiry. Furthermore, it is used in comparative European research alongside School Leavers’ Surveys from other European countrie

School Leavers' Survey Report 2006

This report, based on the findings from the 2006 Annual School Leavers' Survey, gives an insight into the position, experiences and attitudes of school leavers one year after leaving second-level. The survey highlights trends (since 1980) in the circumstances of young people leaving school. It also identifies those at risk of unemployment during this early after-school period. Key Findings The 2006 School Leavers' Survey finds no improvement in levels of second-level completion, which continue to remain at levels found in the early 1990s. At the same time, however, greater numbers of early leavers are accessing alternative education/training opportunities outside the official second-level system, such as Youthreach and FETAC courses. There is continuing growth in higher education entry with a majority of school leavers now progressing to third level. The immediate labour market experiences of young people leaving school early remain challenging, and they appear to face particular difficulty in securing their first job. Dr. Selina McCoy, one of the authors of the report, said "While the majority of school leavers make a successful transition to the labour market or further study after school, the experiences of those leaving school with lower levels of educational attainment are less positive. Such young people face increasing difficulty in accessing employment."