The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is welcoming proposals being brought to Cabinet that will effectively ban parents from slapping their children.

Minister for Children, Dr James Reilly, is seeking to remove the defence of reasonable chastisement, which applies to parents and child-carers in common law.

No new laws or offences are being created, instead the Minister wants to effectively ban slapping by removing any reference to it.

Child advocacy groups worry it allows for a grey area in law.

ISPCC Chief Executive Grainia Long spoke to Newstalk.com's Breakfast Show: 

Minister Reilly is to bring his proposals to Cabinet, possibly as early as this week.