The Ballydowd Special Care Unit, currently Ireland’s only secure facility that provides therapeutic intervention for children with serious emotional and behavioural problems, has rejected an application to take a 14-year-old boy who has tried to kill himself three times.

The Children’s Court case of a 14-year-old boy, who has tried to kill himself three times, has been adjourned pending efforts to have him placed in the Ballydowd Special Care Unit, a secure therapeutic facility.

The case of a 14-year-old boy, who has tried to kill himself three times, is to be brought to the High Court for a judicial review in an effort to compel the Health Service Executive to provide him with therapeutic help.

IT costs as much as €500,000 a year to keep just one young offender in a detention centre, it emerged yesterday.

NO inspections have been carried out at three of the State’s detention centres for children since 1999, despite a legal requirement they should be inspected on an annual basis.

JUNIOR minister Brian Lenihan is to seek the views of all stakeholders regarding the operation of Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre in Dublin.

A CHILDREN’S detention centre in Dublin is to be downsized by more than half, following a review by the Department of Education which deemed its capacity to care for troubled young people was “lost”.

It has emerged that the 16-year-old alleged to have been driving the car involved in the fatal crash which killed two gardai, failed to turn up for an appointment with probation services.