A report commissioned by the Health Service Executive has raised concerns about the standards of care provided to hundreds of unaccompanied children seeking asylum and housed in private hostels.
The study says that hostels used to accommodate unaccompanied minors are not subject to inspection by social services and that underfunding and staff limits are depriving children of individual care.
It says the treatment of unaccompanied children in State care contrasts sharply with the better levels of care available to Irish children.
Around 174 unaccompanied minors were taken into State care last year, and 277 in 2003. The number has been falling in recent years, in line with a general decrease in asylum seekers.
The report, Separated Children Seeking Asylum Research Study - Health and Social Educational Needs, was conducted by Dr Pauline Conroy and Frances Fitzgerald of Ralaheen Ltd.
Ms Fitzgerald said there was an urgent need to treat all children equally and provide greater resources for support services.
"I think we've turned a blind eye to these children. We've known about some of the conditions they're living in, we've heard about poor standards of accommodation. This report highlights that," she said.
The report was commissioned by the HSE East Coast Area and supported by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, which has an interest in meeting the reproductive health needs of teenage asylum seekers.
There has been concern at the number of unaccompanied minors who have gone missing from care. More than 250 have done so in the last four years. The report found that some health and social service providers were unaware of the existence of unaccompanied minors.
It said both boys and girls experienced extreme loneliness and feelings of isolation, and there was a lack of adults in whom they could confide.
Young asylum seekers, however, found school to be a positive influence in their lives, despite encountering "isolation, racism and an absence of close friendships with Irish children within their schools".
In an effort to provide more effective services, the report calls for fully funded parity of treatment between unaccompanied minors in care and Irish children in care.
