New laws may finally be on the way which will ban the smacking of children.

It's reported that laws to clamp down on smacking could be approved by cabinet as early as tomorrow.

But the minister responsible has previously warned that any law could be open to a constitutional challenge.

The plans have been in motion since Ireland was found to be in breach of the Revised Social Charter, set by the Council of Europe, earlier this year.

But minister James Reilly has warned that the constitutional rights of parents could be overlapped by any law to outlaw smacking.

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports.

Independent senator Jillian van Turnhout has welcomed the news - but dismissed the claims of those who might say that being slapped as a child did them no harm: