Up to 20,000 au pairs working in Irish family homes are at risk of “exploitation” because their placements are failing to be properly regulated.

Au pair agencies have called for the separate regulation of the au pair system in the wake of the employment court ruling that host families must comply with the law on minimum wage, holidays, and all other employment protections.

Thousands of au pairs working in households nationwide are being severely exploited, working long hours in sometimes hostile conditions for less than the minimum wage, according to research which shows the extent of the problem.