The number of children removed from their homes in Louth under Section 12 of the Childcare Act fell by 26% last year.
Gardaí can remove a child from their parents/guardians if they believe there is an immediate danger to the child.
There were 53 such instances in the Louth Garda Division in 2013 but this fell to 39 last year, according to figures in the An Garda Siochána annual report.
There were also 401 people reported missing in Louth last year, all of which were traced.
Talk of the Town 