During the academic year 2019–2020, school buildings worldwide closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating a rapid shift to distance education. This study assessed the influence of high-speed broadband availability on student engagement with distance learning during this period in Ireland. Employing data from a representative sample of 206 secondary schools, student engagement as perceived by school principals was estimated to have been more adversely affected among schools located in areas with lower coverage of high-speed broadband. This may be partly explained by a lower probability of poorer student engagement among schools that deployed live online video teaching. While the costs and benefits must be considered, these findings may support the case for government intervention to provide greater equity in access to high-speed broadband. Where distance learning is required in future, secondary teachers should be supported in the use of live online teaching to better foster student engagement.

Background: Energy poverty, typified by cold homes and/or an inability to afford energy bills, presents risks to the mental health of occupants. Parents of young children may be especially susceptible to a mental health toll from energy poverty since they have a significant care obligation and spend much of their day at home. Methods: Data from the Growing Up in Ireland study inform this longitudinal analysis. Results: A 1.64 greater odds of maternal depression were estimated for households containing young children characterized by energy poverty [P = 0.000; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31–2.05]. For energy poor households with older children (9 years and above), the odds of maternal depression were also higher [odds ratio (OR) 1.74, P = 0.001; 95% CI: 1.27–2.39]. Fathers of young children had greater odds of depression in energy poor households (OR 1.59, P = 0.002; 95% CI: 1.19–2.12), though the deleterious effect on mental health was not statistically significant for fathers of older children. Conclusions: Energy poverty increases the likelihood of depression in parents. These findings merit policy attention since a mental health burden is in itself important, and more widely, parental well-being can influence child development and outcomes.

Using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), linked to administrative data on high-speed broadband availability from infrastructure maps, this study examines patterns of Internet uses and psychosocial outcomes for over 3500 people aged 50 plus across Ireland. High-speed broadband availability is associated with higher reported levels of home Internet access, greater frequency of Internet use and more engagement with Internet activities. Controlling for demographic and socio-economic circumstances, regression models show that quality of life is higher among daily users of the Internet. Little association is found with loneliness. Quality of life is higher among users of Internet-based communication applications such as email and video calls, and there is some evidence that loneliness may be less pronounced among users of these applications. The findings are consistent with the view that digital engagement can enhance the lives of older people and thus may be supportive of policies and interventions to address potential ‘grey’ digital divides.

Purpose: Using longitudinal data, this study aims to provide a greater understanding as to how parenting factors, including the employment of various disciplinary techniques, during a young person's early adolescence may contribute to excessive Internet use (EIU) in later adolescence.Design/methodology/approach: Employing “Problem Behaviour” theory (PBT) as a guiding framework, this study uses data from the Growing Up in Ireland ’98 Cohort to investigate the effect of proximal and distal parental influences, measured when children were 13 years old, on symptoms of EIU in young adults at 17 or 18 years. Multiple regression models control for other child and family factors, and separate models for males and females examine sex differentials.Findings: Estimation did not find a statistically significant association between internet-specific mediation practices in early adolescence and EIU in later adolescence. However, regularly playing games or sports together is a protective factor. Parent-adolescent conflict and spending time home alone are estimated as risk factors. How parents deal with misbehaviour is a strong predictor of EIU, with the direction of association dependent upon the type and frequency of discipline employed.Practical implications: The findings are of practical significance in informing parents of modifiable aspects of their behaviour that can lead to EIU.Originality/value: The study applies a longitudinal modelling framework and considers the effect on EIU of various parental disciplinary techniques, representing a novel contribution.