This report was commissioned by the Ballymun Development Group for Children and Young People.

Need is a multi-dimensional concept covering all aspects of the child’s well-being including: physical, psychological, relationship with parents and peers, education, out-of-school activities, etc. Children’s well-being is also heavily dependent on the well-being of their parents and, for this reason, a proper understanding of children’s needs must take into account the well-being of their parents: physical, psychological, relationship with partner and with child, social supports, etc. In addition, since children’s needs are infl uenced by the socio-economic status of their household and the broader physical environment, it is therefore necessary to measure household income, employment and education as well as neighbourhood perceptions. It is this understanding which informs our approach to assessing the psychological needs of children in Ballymun.