Children were admitted to state care 856 times last year because of abuse, neglect or welfare issues.

They were removed from their parents or guardians care voluntarily or by court direction.

The figures have been released by Tusla under the Freedom of Information Act.

Children were admitted to state care 205 times in 2019 because they were abused.

77 cases relate to physical abuse, 102 were down to emotional abuse and 26 were due to sexual abuse.

There were a further 310 admissions due to neglect and 341 due to welfare concerns.

A further 208 children were admitted for these reasons in the first quarter of this year.

The vast majority of the children were placed in foster care by Tusla.

Suzanne Connolly, the chief executive of Barnardos, said the figures are not surprising.

She explained: "Children come in to the care of the state because there are serious concerns about the parents' ability to care for the children.

"The vast majority of cases are to do with child welfare and neglect. They may be linked to poverty or substance abuse or poor mental health of the parents.

"It's really important in situations of child welfare and child neglect that family support is provided as soon as possible so the children can return home quickly."

Tusla says a child is only brought into care as a last resort and if it's in their best interests.

The agency says any decision regarding the removal of a child is either agreed voluntarily with a parent or by court direction.