A new survey has found children are getting mobile phones as young as 9-years-old.


42 per cent of parents admit to giving their child a phone earlier than they would like, mostly due to safety concerns.


The survey of 522 parents also found more than a third don't know how to access the built-in controls to monitor their children's online activity, according to The Irish Times.


The research by Eir found 12 or 13 years old was the preferred age to give a child their first mobile phone.