Gardaí forced to ‘babysit’ vulnerable children at stations

GARDAÍ say they are being forced to “babysit” vulnerable children in stations around the country because of inadequate responses by the health services.

Garda representatives have called on leading children’s rights advocates to put pressure on the Health Service Executive (HSE) for a guaranteed out-of-hours service for youths.

The call comes after a 15-year-old boy spent the night at a garda station in Charleville, Co Cork, because no HSE personnel could be contacted on emergency phone numbers.

The boy had been reported missing on July 1 and was located by gardaí that night at 9pm.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) last night said stations were an unacceptable place for children. Prisoners, suspects charged with serious offences and people on drink and drugs frequently occupied stations and were an obvious danger to youths, said AGSI executive member Willie Gleeson.

“Young children are with us at night up and down the country on a regular basis, whether it’s for personal reasons or because of family problems. Our members are having to babysit.”

Recently an officer spent over a day looking after a young girl in Tipperary and a hospital in Cork rang gardaí asking them to care for the daughter of a sick woman, according to the AGSI.

After repeatedly raising concerns with government ministers, the AGSI has taken the unprecedented step of writing to the Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan, Barnardos, the Garda Inspectorate and the Garda Commissioner.

The groups were asked to “take whatever steps are available to them to ensure that no child ever again has to spend the night in a garda station”.

The AGSI last night said ministers have shown “little interest” in the problem.

In response, Minister for Children Barry Andrews said he has asked his department secretary general to write to HSE chief Prof Brendan Drumm on the issue.

“It is wholly unacceptable that children at risk should have to be accommodated in garda facilities,” he said.

The HSE confirmed last night that Dublin has the only dedicated out-of-hours care service for children.

A working group’s report on national out-of-hours services is being considered and discussed by trade unions, the department and the HSE, a spokeswoman said.

In response to the case of the 15-year-old in Cork, the HSE said that outside of normal hours, contact could be made with health officials through the emergency department at Cork University Hospital.