The fate of a disabled Romanian orphan, brought to Ireland to receive medical treatment, remains uncertain after a mix-up with the child's visa.

Miheala Porumbaru was told to return to Romania on Monday after it emerged she had been sent to the Irish Republic on a holiday visa instead of a medical one.

The girl, who was brought to Ireland for treatment to a broken back, was taken from her foster home in Dundalk, County Louth on Monday morning.

However, the child is now due to fly home on Tuesday having failed to board a flight from Belfast.

Miheala was abandoned at birth and is paralysed from the waist down.

Spinal injuries

She was brought to Ireland in July by Dundalk woman Brid Hughes.

"My fears are that these physicaly handicapped children go into mentally retarded institutions with mentally retarded people," she said.

"They do not have facilities for them and they do not have any help for them."

Mrs Hughes, who set up an organisation to help Romanian orphans, said she wanted to adopt the child and see if her spinal injuries could be treated by specialists.

She said she understood Micheala was allowed to stay under a medical visa and was shocked when the Romanian authorities told her the orphan must return.

Mrs Hughes said she feared for Michaela's well-being if she has to go back to her homeland.