The Child and Family Agency TUSLA says it's implementing changes, after an inspection of a Special Care Unit in Dublin raised
concerns about the practice of so-called "single separation" for children who display challenging behaviour.

It comes following a HIQA inspection of the Ballydowd special care unit found some children were locked in rooms for long periods, occasionally without access to toilet facilities.

TUSLA says it's developing a 'specially designed facility at Ballydowd which will be better equipped to deal with extreme challenging behaviour and will reduce the need for single separation'.

Fred McBride is the Chief Operating Officer with TUSLA:

The Minister for Education, Jan O'Sullivan believes improvements can be made following a HIQA inspection of the Ballydowd Special Care Unit: