Reports of court proceedings where a child is taken into state care will be published on a dedicated website for the first time this morning.

Cases that were heard over the past three months will be made available with details of why the HSE sought orders to have children placed in temporary or long term care.

More than 5,000 children are in the care of the State, mostly on foot of orders made in the courts. However little or no detail is known about these orders because such proceedings are heard in camera and cannot be reported.

Under new legislation to be prepared by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter the media will be allowed to attend certain childcare and private family law cases.

Dr Carol Coulter, who led the Child Care Law Reporting Project says it is hoped the information on this new website will lead to the better protection of children in the future.