The Travellers and Roma group Pavee Point is raising concerns about media coverage of a child who has been taken from a Roma family in Dublin.
Gardai took the 7 year-old girl away after her parents could not provide valid documentation to prove she is their daughter.
It happened after a member of the public contacted the gardai with concerns that the blonde, blue-eyed child bore no resemblance to other members of her family.
Gardai spent a number of hours with the family before taking the child from the house.
It's understood the HSE initiated proceedings to obtain an emergency care order for the child.
Pavee Point is questioning how the story came into the public domain, and is warning against media coverage that could lead to "hysteria" and "racial profiling".
A spokesman for the group said that it was not unheard of for Roma families to have blonde children, and urged people not to jump to conclusions about the case.
