Troubled youths cost State €22m in care fees

THE State is paying over €22 million each year to keep less than 100 children in health board high support and special care units.

A number of health boards are also paying up to €8,000 per week to place a child in the care of private companies despite the fact that of the 134 places available in the health board units, 27 are confirmed as unoccupied. The support units cater for children the High Court has defined as being "in need of special care and protection".

The €22m cost of keeping troubled teenagers in care was revealed by the health boards yesterday, one week after it emerged that a 13-year-old girl had become pregnant after being sent to Britain for care by the Midlands Health Board.

The South Eastern Health Board is paying €5,000 a week to keep three children in the care of private providers, including Freshstart Éire and the Community Children's Centre in Co Wicklow.

The Southern Health Board is paying €69,975 per month to Freshstart for the private care of two children.

The South Western Area Health Board has spent €486,000 this year funding three private places with Freshstart.

The Mid-Western Health Board has one child in the care of Freshstart. The board refused to reveal the cost.

An Irish Examiner survey revealed the following expenditure by health boards on troubled teenagers staying in State units:

South Western Area Health Board €7.9m.

Southern Health Board €3.6m.

South Eastern Health Board €3.45m.

Mid-Western Health Board €2.9m.

North Eastern Health Board €2.04m.

Northern Area Health Board €1.59m.

Western Health Board €0.8m.

"This is evidence of the State's neglect of children when they are young," said Labour health spokeswoman Liz McManus. "The health boards are spending huge amounts dealing with troubled youngsters when it's probably too late for most of them. What is needed is very early intervention."

Fine Gael health spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell also called for earlier investment of resources rather than spending almost quarter of a million per child per year to keep them in high support or special care units.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health defended the Government's record. There were 64 garda youth diversion projects in place catering for approximately 2,500 participants per annum. Spending had increased by €225m since 1991 to help health boards develop childcare and family support services, said the spokesperson.