Nationally, 820 children contacted Childline between December 23 and 25, a 12% increase on the same period last year. 

The ISPCC expects St Stephen's Day to be one of the busiest days of the year for Childline,

Volunteers will receive full training before answering their first call, and will receive ongoing support and upskilling.

ISPCC chief executive John Church called on social media platforms to do more to protect children from harmful content

They get a total of 26 contacts from children and young people in relation to child sexual abuse on a weekly basis.

The charity said the creation of a new referral mechanism for child and adolescent mental health services is a particular positive

The Strictly Come Dancing judge also praised presenter Kate Garraway for her kindness when she interviewed him for her Life Stories series

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), who operate the Childline service, said that drink and drug abuse were common concerns among children who contacted the charity on Christmas Day.