Child protection failings: Fears for safety of children in their homes

The Government is to review all emergency out-of-hours services for children amid persistent fears that large swathes of the country don’t have the supports to protect minors from “barbaric treatment” in the home.

The country’s Ombudsman for Children said the solution had to be “pushed from the top”, while children’s rights groups called for a Government task force to overhaul existing services.

The moves follow the publication of a damning report by Professor Geoffrey Shannon. Publishing his 346-page audit, he said: