A total of 350 child refugees will be brought to Britain from Europe under the so-called Dubs Amendment, the Government has announced.

Soaps such as EastEnders and Coronation Street have been criticised by TV British watchdogs for exposing children to scenes of sex and violence.

Foreign minister Brian Cowen is to be quizzed about the possible appointment of a policing ombudsman.

A team of Irish and British parliamentarians is to make an investigative trip to the Sellafield nuclear waste reprocessing plant earlier next year to assess security at the controversial plant.