By Eilish O'Regan
Dublin - More than half the girls born today can expect to live to the age of 100 or more.
But fewer boys with birth dates in 2006 will see 2106.
Women's life expectancy has consistently been higher than men's, mainly due to lifestyle factors, the launch of a study on ageing has been told.
The current life expectancy for an Irishwoman is 80,3 years and for men it is 75,1 years, although it is increasing for both sexes.
The most recent census figures for 2002 indicate there were 130 people in the Republic with super-longevity, aged between 100 and 113 years.
A €4-million study on ageing in Ireland, launched by Health Minister Mary Harney and led by Professor RoseAnne Kenny of Trinity College Dublin, will track 10 000 people over 55 for more than a decade. It will build up the first full picture of the health, finances, social circumstances and expectations of older people.
Kenny said that by 2030 one-in-four Irish people would be over 65 and the biggest rise would be in over-80s.
"Ageing on this scale is unprecedented in Ireland and has significant consequences for society from an economic, social and policy perspective."
Ireland is behind many other countries in carrying out this longitudinal study on ageing, which is essential for planning ahead and working out policies on how to care for older people and ensure they have the best quality of life.
The research will begin with 55-year-olds because it is a time of transition for what is known as the "sandwich generation".
Professor Hannah McGee of the Royal College of Surgeons said this group could be sandwiched between their own elderly parents and grandchildren. They were at the transition between work and retirement and also at the point where their risk of developing various health conditions increased.
The research, which will include the ESRI and the other top universities, will explore why "the experience of ageing in Ireland is not a particularly happy one".
Kenny said: "We know our older people are amongst the least healthy in Europe and the proportion of older Irish people living in income poverty (40 percent) is the highest in the EU."