Children are getting lost in the emotional and legal turmoil of family breakdown, a leading children charity has claimed.

Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan says the State should be legally obliged to provide aftercare for separated asylum-seeking children once they turn 18.

Barnardos said next month’s budget needs to mark the end of stringent cuts and the beginning of investment in vulnerable families.

Blindspots in draft child-vetting laws will allow “potential predators” who are a “very real danger” to children to move among groups without adequate background checks.

A small number of separated foreign children who arrive in this country are still going missing, and it is believed they are mainly Chinese teenagers who have been smuggled here to work.

Travellers are to decide today whether to wage a national campaign demanding ethnic minority recognition.

DELAYS in getting treatment are putting people with eating disorders are at an increased risk of dying.

YOUNG people with eating disorders are at a greater risk of suicide due to a shocking lack of specialist child and adolescent mental health services, Fine Gael’s Dan Neville has warned.

Special measures should be taken to recruit and retain members of minority ethnic communities to posts within the state, it was claimed today.

ONE-IN-THREE equal status complaints received by the Equality Authority last year were made by Travellers.

EUROPE'S human rights' watchdog has condemned Ireland's treatment of Travellers and other minority groups.

Carl O’Brien, Political Correspondent

PUBLICANS have promised there will be no nationwide blanket ban on serving Travellers following peace talks aimed at resolving the dispute.

JUNIOR Justice Minister Willie O’Dea has called on vintners to call off their pub bans against Travellers until talks aimed at resolving the dispute get underway.

Around 150 Travellers from throughout Ireland are picketing the offices of Ennis town council today in protest at new legislation allowing the Gardai to impound caravans parked illegally on public or private property.