Family time more important than money, says survey

Time with the family is more important than money or housing standards the children's charity Barnardos said this morning.

The charity said research it had carried as part of Parents Under Pressure found that 84 per cent of adults and 72 per cent of children considered time with the family as the most precious commodity.

They were asked to rank family time, more money and having a better place to live in oder of importance.

The national survey was looking at specific pressures facing Irish parents.

Ms Deirdre Mortell, Barnardos fundraisind director, said the report revealed that parents were rarely asked what would help them out.

"Parents who find themselves under pressure may find the recently published "Child and Family Directory" useful, as it contains information on supports and services for families across Ireland," she said. This booklet is available from Barnardos.

The non-representative survey was carried out by postcards available at Statoil stations and 790 cards were returned from across Ireland.