Care unit for girls has improved, says minster

A special care unit for vulnerable children, seriously criticised in a report two months ago, has made “considerable improvements”, according to children’s minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Gleann Alainn, a care unit for teenage girls in Glanmire outside Cork city, was described as being in a “state of crisis” during an inspection in October by the Health Information Quality Authority. The centre can accommodate up to seven girls, aged from 11-17, who are detained by order of the High Court.

The HIQA report, published in December, found examples of theft and a high rate of absconding, while staff were said to have been afraid of one child and that the issue had not been addressed. It added that residents were not receiving “a consistently good standard of effective, safe care”.

In answer to a parliamentary question on the issue tabled by Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien Ms Fitzgerald said HIQA had carried out a further inspection last month.

“I met with HIQA last week to discuss their findings and I was informed that considerable improvements have been made and majority of their recommendations have been addressed.

“This inspection report is expected to be published by HIQA by the end of this month.”