The original wording of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic guarantees fundamental rights and promises to “cherish all the children of the nation equally”.

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.

Victims of slavery are being left in limbo and failed by the State, campaigners have claimed.

Au pairs in Ireland are subjected to high levels of exploitation and abuse which, in extreme cases, is akin to slavery and imprisonment, a study shows.

Every mother of identical twins knows how to tell her children apart.