Teenage carers do worse in their Leaving Cert than their classmates.
That's according to a new ESRI report, which found a quarter of 17-year-olds and a fifth of 20-year-olds regularly care for another family member.
It found young carers are "significantly" less likely than their classmates to perform well in the State exams and go on to further education.
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Report Author, Professor Helen Russell, says caring for a family member can also impact on a young person's physical health:
