As a Limerick youth, described by his family as dangerous, was at large last night, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald was accused of gross incompetence in failing to provide adequate places of detention for troubled teenage boys.

A former garda and scout master abused boys when he was in charge of a troop for disabled children, a court has heard.

Like so many of our essential services — health, water, schools and colleges, secondary roads, broadband and whatever you’re having yourself — our prison system is hardly fit for purpose.

AN ANGLO-IRISH government report has criticised the running costs of Irish lighthouses and recommended Britain stop providing a multi-million euro subsidy towards the service.

A 16-year-old boy awaiting sentence for possessing a flick knife has described one of the State's most secure juvenile detention centres as “too much of a holiday camp.”

EVIL Gerald Barry was handed a double life sentence with a chilling warning that if he was released he would rape and kill again.

If previous convictions were taken into account and Barry denied bail, Manuela might still be alive, writes Jennifer Hough.

YOUR report headlined ‘Calls to review British ownership of lighthouse’ presented some interesting ‘facts’ (March 4).

A 16-year-old Mayo youth who mugged a young woman while armed with a blade has been told he could spend a substantial part of his life in prison if he doesn’t deal with his alcohol problem.

WHILE intelligence is the key element in most major drug seizures, Jerome Lordan (July 16), correctly highlights the role of coastal surveillance in the security of our coastline and the war on drugs.

A 16-year-old boy has been returned to custody following his arrest for threatening to kill four gardaí.

THE recent massive cocaine haul in Dunlough Bay off the Cork coast has highlighted the vulnerability of our coastal surveillance.

A 15-year-old boy, who was part of a violent gang that attacked gardaí with kicks, bites, punches, stones and bottles and hit a female garda on the stomach with a brick, has decided he wants to be detained for two years.

A teenager who several times threatened to kill a young woman while subjecting her to an orgy of sexual abuse has been sent to Trinity House for three-and-a-half years.

A Limerick man who participated in a savage gang-rape of a woman in a wood last year has been jailed for 21 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court.

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.

A repeat teenage offender, who has 72 criminal convictions, was today detained for 15 months for offences committed after he was released early from a juvenile detention centre.

A teen repeat offender has reached his 72nd criminal conviction for offences committed after he was released early from a juvenile detention centre.

A teenage burglar, who held a woman up in her house and threatened to stab her, has been given a 20-month sentence, by Judge Angela Ní Chonduin, at the Dublin Children’s Court.

A Juvenile detention centre which has just 30 places was yesterday forced to close down an entire wing so an out-of-control boy could be held there, a court heard today.

STRIKING teachers at St Joseph’s Detention School in Clonmel fear the education rights of their pupils are not being protected because of the school’s management structure.

The 16-year-old passenger in a stolen sports car that killed two gardai has been sentenced to four years detention which is to start in March 2004 after his current two year term ends.

The 16-year-old passenger in a stolen sports car that killed two gardai last April wouldn't have been at liberty at the time had there been a residential place available for him.

A 16-year-old youth who was a passenger in a sports car that killed two gardai has pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three charges arising out of the incident.

A 15-year-old passenger in a stolen car which killed two gardaí last weekend has been remanded in custody for a week.