The government's set to back calls for child beauty pageants to be banned in Ireland.

The children's minister Frances Fitzgerald is accepting an all-party call from the Seanad to discourage the pageants in Ireland.

Politicians united in anger last September when a 'Toddlers and Tiaras'-style pageant was held in a pub in  Monaghan, the first of its kind in Ireland.

At the time the children's minister Frances Fitzgerald said the event was explotative and encouraged the early sexualisation of young girls.

Based on that response, today the Seanad will spend two hours debating whether the contests should be banned outright in Ireland.

Members from all parties have signed a motion condemning child beauty pageants, saying they breach the rights of children under the UN Convention.

However it's not clear whether the government's approval will lead to any concrete action - as a spokesman said there isn't much the state can do to stop similar pageants taking place in future.