One in five parents do not read to their children, according to the results of a survey published today.
The survey, carried out for Eason bookseller, had a sample of 1,000 people over the age of 16.
Close to a quarter of those surveyed were parents with young children.
Some 18 per cent of parents surveyed said they never read to their child. Women were more likely to read to their children than men, the survey found.
It also revealed that 69 per cent Irish people were encouraged to read by their own parents and that seven out of 10 were read to as a child.
One third of parents said time pressures were the main reason they could not read to their children.
“Establishing a daily reading time with your children is the single most important ritual, benefiting not only their learning and communication but also creating an important connection between you," said Dr John Sharry, child psychotherapist.
"This highlights the importance of building a daily routine of reading with the 'bedtime story' being one of the most important of these. Bedtime reading not only provides all the educational benefits of reading, but also is an important ritual in gaining a good night’s sleep and usually a special moment of connection between parent and child.”
Almost half of all those surveyed listed reading as a hobby on their CV and 79 per cent said they would like more time in their day to read.