Child protection groups have called for decisive action from the Government on slapping following criticism yesterday by the Council of Europe which said Ireland was in breach of human rights by allowing the practice to continue here.
Barnardos said the punishment of children within the home was currently permitted in Ireland by the existence of the common law defence "reasonable chastisement".
"This effectively sanctions physical intervention as an acceptable form of punishment of children in Ireland," said Barnardos director of advocacy Norah Gibbons.
"Ireland has signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires prohibition of all forms of corporal punishment, and it would be a very poor reflection on our society were we to fail to protect children in Ireland from the threat of physical violence due to inadequacy in the legislation."
Barnardos called on the Government to move swiftly and introduce whatever legislative measures were needed to correct the current situation.
The National Parents Council Post Primary said legislation on its own would solve nothing.
Its chief executive Fionnuala Kilfeather said support structures must be put in place to help parents to develop skills which would negate the need for slapping.
