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class="MsoNormal">6 Irish children were among the number of children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation last year.

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class="MsoNormal">While great strides have been made in the area of the trafficking of separated children in the asylum process it remains a problem in Ireland.

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class="MsoNormal">New research has shown up gaps in policy and practice of the Health Service Executive (HSE) which is leaving young people at risk.

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class="MsoNormal">A new report has been commissioned by the Children’s Rights Alliance.

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class="MsoNormal">It was carried out by University College Cork (UCC) and has been examining the response of the State to the problem of child trafficking in Ireland.

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class="MsoNormal">Before 2010 a lot of separated children in the asylum process disappeared from hostel accommodation and may have been victims of trafficking.

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class="MsoNormal">But that system has now been abandoned and has been replaced by foster families.

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class="MsoNormal">But concerns have still been expressed over the level of vetting and monitoring that is taking place on the foster families.

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class="MsoNormal">Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance is Tanya Ward.

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class="MsoNormal">She says the secretive nature of trafficking makes it very hard to quantify but that last year 6 Irish children were among those found to have been trafficked.

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class="MsoNormal">She also says it is vital that expertise is improved outside of the capital.

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class="MsoNormal">Read the full report href="http://www.childrensrights.ie/sites/default/files/submissions_reports/files/SafeCareForTraffickedChildrenInIrelandReport.pdf"> here

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