Many of the larger chain stores and supermarkets pay students around £4 per hour and some pay £6 per hour on Sundays. In pubs lounge boys or girls can pick up anything between £10 and £30 per night in tips. Babysitters can earn between £2.50 to £3 an hour.

However, many youngsters are being paid around £2 an hour - working as packers in supermarkets, for example. Many people feel that they are being exploited. Some employers, too, pressure youngsters into working unhealthily long hours - 12 hour days in some instances.

The issue of youngsters working presents some parents with a dilemma. Which is preferable - exploitation or having too much money to spend? "I paid my son half the going rate," comments a father who was in a position to offer his 16-year-old son holiday work during the summer.

"I wanted him to be occupied during the summer holidays," said the father, "and I thought that having a job would be good for him. But I didn't want him having large amounts of money burning a hole in his pocket."

Youngsters no longer work in part-time jobs in order to supplement the family income. Once they embark on work after school, adolescents see huge improvements in their lifestyles. They enjoy the benefits of independence and are freer to make decisions about their spending.

"I hate asking my parents for money," explains Sinead, who has given up her part-time job to concentrate on the Leaving Cert. "There's no problem getting it from them - but I'm 17 and I want to feel independent."

Fiona says that she loved the idea of having her own money. "I needed at least £20 a night to go out and I knew I couldn't ask my parents for that sort of money." A typical evening for Fiona when she was earning only £2.50 per hour included three pints of beer in a local pub, 20 cigarettes and a burger on the way home. When she moved to Dunnes and was earning more money, she drank more, bought more junk food and travelled by taxi.

Many youngsters admit that they have little time to enjoy the fruits of their labours as they juggle school, homework and the world of work. Educators too are concerned that students with part-time jobs are unable to pursue leisure pursuits and other interests. The job becomes the focus of their lives.