Parents abandoned 3 Irish-born children in UK

Three young Irish-born children abandoned by their parents in the UK are to be brought home and placed in care, the High Court has been told.

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart has made several orders and declarations which will result in the children, who have been cared for by English social services, being returned to Ireland.

The judge said she was satisfied Ireland ws the children’s habitual residence. The siblings, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are all under five.

The application was made by the Child and Family Agency, represented in court by Felix McEnroy.

Mr McEnroy said in 2013, the children had been taken by their parents to England. Their father was involved in criminality and had left for England arising out of a perceived threat to him and his wife. Mr McEnroy, who described the family’s situation as chaotic, said the parents suffered from personal problems including substance abuse.

While the family did initially return to Ireland, the children had been brought back to England last year. The children had come to the attention of social services after the family had become homeless, and due to the parent’s substance abuse.

After the children were put in care in England, the parents returned to Ireland. Attempts to find the parents had proved difficult and they had not contacted the children for some months.

Mr McEnroy said the mother had been located in Ireland. In recent weeks, the various parties involved with the children and the mother had been co-operating with each other. He said it also appeared the threats that prompted the family to leave Ireland may have been exaggerated by the father.

The matter was adjourned for mention before the High Court again later this month.

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