Department on stand-by over abandoned baby

THE Department of Foreign Affairs was on standby to provide emergency travel documents last night as efforts continued to reunite a young mother with the baby she abandoned in Australia.

The young woman was tracked down to her family home near New Ross, Co Wexford, at 8.30am yesterday morning following a four-day international search involving local and national police in Australia, London and Ireland as well as Interpol.

The 21-year-old’s identity was being closely guarded last night as she received medical attention and was counselled on her options for her own future and that of her baby son. Although upset at her situation and drained after her long journey home, she was said last night to be safe, well and in physically good shape.

A neighbour said the family were “totally stunned”. “It all came so sudden and the manner in which they became aware of Amy’s plight has left them totally devastated.

“Thankfully the child is OK. The family deserve our support and prayers. They should be left alone to try and deal with this.”

Queensland Police said the priority remained the welfare of the baby and his mother rather than the pursuit of a criminal investigation. “The main thing was to find the mother, which has happened, and to take things from there,” a spokeswoman said.

The unnamed baby boy, who is a few weeks old, was found in a cubicle of the ladies toilets at the Chevron Renaissance shopping centre in the beach resort of Surfer’s Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast at 7.45am on Monday morning, Australian time (9.45pm Sunday night Irish time).

Security camera footage showed he was there about 15 minutes before being discovered by a member of the public. He was dressed in baby clothes, wrapped in a towel and tucked into a cotton shopping bag with fresh nappies and baby products.

He has since been in the care of the Department of Child Safety, the state child protection agency in Queensland, which described him as being in good health.

A huge public reaction was sparked in Australia by the security footage which showed the slim dark-haired young woman leaving the shopping centre in her bare feet and at least one positive identification was phoned in to a local newspaper.

Gardaí confirmed they had contacted police in Australia after hearing about the public appeal and were able to find the womanusing information supplied by the public and immigration and flight details.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it would help with issuing a passport for the baby if there were plans to bring him to Ireland.