Childline received 1,020 calls on Christmas day

Childline, a 24-hour listening service for children and young people, received 1,020 calls on Christmas day.

Volunteers reported children calling after witnessing domestic violence or abuse in the family home, as well as children and young people calling about feelings of social isolation, sadness and anxiety.

The confidential phone line is run by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) and is available every day of the year.

A spokeswoman for the ISPCC said many volunteers also reported receiving calls from young people thanking them for the support the service provided over the last year.

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Grainia Long, chief executive of the ISPCC said “Christmas is just another day for children and young people across Ireland who are scared, lonely, anxious or upset.”

She said the service was extremely grateful to the volunteers who gave up their time on Christmas day to answer calls to the phone line.

“Childline volunteers show tremendous commitment and dedication in working tirelessly and passionately to bring about positive change in the lives of all children and young people in Ireland,” she said.

Ms Long said the financial contributions from the public through the last year was also crucial in funding the service. “We sincerely thank everyone who has supported us in 2017,” she said.

The phone line is available at 1800 66 66 66, and an online chat service is also available every day between 10am and 4am, which can be found at childline.ie.