Major deficiencies in staffing and systems at Tusla, the State’s child and family agency, meant serious child abuse allegations were not properly handled, a damning new report will conclude today.

The country’s most troubled teenagers are being criminalised while in the care of the State — arrested in the secure therapeutic centres aiming to stabilise and rehabilitate them.

A coalition of childrens’ charities has launched a campaign calling on the next government to more than quadruple state spending on prevention and early intervention programmes for children.