Social Innovation Fund Ireland has praised the 14 charitable groups awarded supports worth €9.5m under the Children and Youth Education Fund.

The number of referrals to the Child and Family Agency relating to alleged abuse have hit a quarterly high.

School absenteeism cases on Tusla’s national waiting list have surged to the highest recorded level due to the rising number of homeless children, insufficient numbers of staff, and increasingly complex cases such as students with mental health issues and special needs.

Meet some of the remarkable students who are top of the class when it comes to school attendance — with more than 800 years of unbroken school attendance between them.