Gardaí called 95 times to hostel

Gardaí had to be summonsed on 95 occasions over a two- year period to an emergency hostel for troubled teens in Cork because staff were unable to control the youths’ behaviour.

The young men repeatedly left the hostel without permission — there were 610 such absences recorded over 24 months.

The hostel, in a residential part of Cork City fronting onto a busy main road, was described by a health watchdog inspector as narrow, cramped, and unsuitable. Staff told the inspector that keypad access through a gate at the rear had been installed following an incident when gardaí had difficulty accessing the premises through the front door when obstructed by a young person who was a former resident of the centre.