A number of children have been admitted to hospital with severe sunburn over the past week.
Most of them had been wearing sun cream but it had not been reapplied.
Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin has issued a nationwide appeal to parents to protect their babies and children during the heatwave from intensive UV rays.
"If you think your baby or child has been affected by overexposure to the sun, for example, if the baby or child appears dizzy, weak or is complaining of intense thirst or a headache, please go to your GP or local Emergency Department without delay as this could be an indication of heatstroke which can develop very suddenly and rapidly and is extremely dangerous," said Dr Ike Okafor, consultant in emergency medicine.
The advice from Temple Street, in line with the Irish Cancer Society’s SunSmart campaign, is as follows;