There's very little difference between caring for toddlers at home or sending them to daycare.

The 'Growing Up In Ireland' study found that three-year-olds develop largely the same social skills by the age of 5 - whether they are cared for by parents, relatives or in a centre.

The ESRI's Helen Russell says financial difficulty, living in areas of disadvantage, and being a boy - all have a greater impact on a child's development - than where they are cared for as a toddler: