Over 45,000 calls made to Childline at night will go unanswered in 2015 if funds are not raised immediately, the ISPCC has warned.

Childline has been listening to children for 26 years and for the last 15 years, the service has been available on a 24-hour basis, meaning vulnerable young people can access it any time, day or night.

However, the night operation will have to close if €1.2 million is not raised to maintain this service.

"Childline receives 1,800 contacts per day. A child who calls Childline at three in the morning does not do so without good reason. Nobody wants any call for help to be met with an answering machine, but without adequate funding that is the reality we are facing," explained ISPCC interim CEO, Caroline O'Sullivan.

The organisation, which relies almost exclusively on public donations, has issued an emergency funding appeal for the €1.2 million it needs to keep the night service going.

Of the 1,800 contacts made to Childline every day, around 11% are made at night and according to the organisation, ‘in many instances, the late night calls are from children who, due to their domestic circumstances, cannot call at other times of the day'.

Between January and September of this year, the profile of calls fell into six main groups:
-44% of calls related to children's personal lives
-17.5% of calls were requests for information
-14% of calls related to abuse and welfare
-11% related to sexuality
-7.5% related to mental health
-6% related to relationships.

"My greatest concern is for the many children who are in abusive situations that account for 14% of our calls. These children really need us on a 24/7 basis and thousands of these children will not be heard next year if we cannot raise the funds to keep the night service open," Ms O'sullican added.

The Childline emergency appeal will run throughout the month of November. A €4 text donation can be made by texting CHILDLINE to 57911. A minimum of €3.20 of this €4 will go to the charity. Alternatively online donations can be made here