A State watchdog has expressed "grave concern" over the volume of welfare or abuse issues relating to asylum-seeking children living in State-funded direct provision centres.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found young people in these settings were almost nine times more likely to be the subject of a referral relating to child welfare or safety issues than children in the wider community.

Among the welfare concerns highlighted were mental health problems among parents and children; a lack of clothes and toys; parents isolating themselves from support services.

Child protection concerns included concerns over physical abuse; older children left to care for younger children; and inappropriate contact by adults towards some children.

About 1,600 children are living in direct provision accommodation centres, many of whom have spent years living in these settings.

The report identified significant delays in the response from child protection and welfare services to concerns.

In one instance, it took three years for a response from the Child and Family Agency to a concern over a child who had threatened suicide.

In the Louth/Meath area, for example, most children were not met with or seen by social workers even though records indicated concerns over their safety and welfare.

In one of these cases, there were significant concerns about an allegation of physical abuse of two children and the case was closed without children being visited.

Inspectors found that on occasion the State body responsible for the direct provision system moved families for safety reasons.

However, gaps in communication between the providers and the Child and Family Agency meant social work interventions were delayed or did not happen and potentially placed children at risk.

But the report also pointed out that many staff provided excellent child-centred services, advocating for children and meeting their needs through timely and effective interventions, including seeking respite foster care for children.

Hiqa director of regulation Mary Dunnion said the quality of the child protection and welfare service provided was “radically inconsistent”.

A good quality of service was found in Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan as well as the north Dublin city areas.

In the midlands the service was mixed, but in Louth Meath the service was much poorer and some risks had not been identified and addressed by managers.

“ There was no strategic plan in place to identify and meet the needs of this particularly vulnerable group of children and families,” she said.

Tanya Ward of the Children’s Rights Alliance said the report was significant because it was the first time an official body with inspection powers has been able to shed some light on children’s lives in direct provision. “These findings cannot be ignored. Children can’t be left suffering in this system. Simple reassurances will not be enough to counter these shocking findings. Nothing less than a robust child protection and welfare response with proper independent inspections will be acceptable here,” she said.

She said there was a need for urgent action from the Government, along with the Child and Family Agency and the Department of Justice, to ensure services for young people are improved.