Some 463 unaccompanied children who arrived into this country from outside the European Union (EU) are currently unaccounted for.
A new report published by the ESRI explores the policies and practices in place regarding non-EU unaccompanied minors.
It says there has been a decrease in the number of unaccompanied minors going missing from State care.
In 2007, 41 children went missing from the care of the Dublin social work team of which 12 were found - while in 2013, four children went missing and two were found.
It also says that the model of care - including accommodation provided to unaccompanied minors - is now much improved.
Since 2010, there has been an end to hostel-based care for unaccompanied minors, it says - a system that was widely criticised as exposing already vulnerable children to harm.
The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, now treats unaccompanied minors equally to other children in care, meaning that they are provided with foster care, supported lodgings or residential placements.
But the report found that because of the high level of need with this group, the majority of them are allocated a social worker.
And it says that certain key challenges remain, as there is no targeted national strategy for unaccompanied minors.
Commenting on the findings, report author Emma Quinn said "This study charts significant improvements to the model of care provided to unaccompanied minors in Ireland since publication of a previous EMN Ireland study on this subject in 2009."
"Good practices, including child-specific procedures, are in evidence within the asylum system. Also welcome is the practice of not forcibly returning unaccompanied minors. However, in the context of the increasing numbers of asylum applicants in Ireland and across the EU, it is timely to ensure that service provision to this particularly vulnerable group is robust and that national oversight exists," she added.
Tusla service director with lead responsibility for unaccompanied minors, Mary Kenny, told Newstalk Lunchtime it is hard to trace the missing children for several reasons.
