Detention centre records 200-plus incidents

There were more than 200 significant or critical incidents involving young people in the Oberstown youth detention facility in a period of less than three years, according to figures released by the Department of Children.

The statistics, provided under Freedom of Information, show that most of the incidents took place in the Oberstown Boys School, which is one of the three facilities on the same campus, operated within the department by the Irish Youth Justice Service.

Separately, Minister for Children James Reilly has revealed that, over the course of a three-year period, there were 62 assaults on staff at Oberstown.

Just over a month ago, Oberstown was the subject of a critical inspection report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which raised a number of concerns, including about a situation in which a child was handcuffed while being restrained by staff.

The figures from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs show that between the start of 2012 and the end of August last year, 211 Grade 3 or Grade 2 incidents were recorded across three separate areas of Oberstown — Oberstown Boys School, Oberstown Girls School, and Trinity House.

Grade 3 incidents were by far the most common. Classified as a “significant event”, “such incidents should not involve the emergency services; should not involve any serious injuries; and should not involve any serious property damage”, according to the definition used.

In the period between the start of 2012 and the end of August 2014, 65 Grade 3 episodes were recorded at Trinity House and 128 Grade 3 incidents were recorded in Oberstown Boys School, while three Grade 3 incidents took place in Oberstown Girls School.

Ten Grade 2 incidents were recorded in Oberstown Boys School in the same period, and five such incidents were recorded in Oberstown Girls School. Grade 2 incidents are described as “a critical incident which requires immediate reporting to the director and immediate reporting to the IYJS between the hours of 8am and midnight” and “may include an injury to a child or adult, involvement by the emergency services, significant property damage, escape from the school, abscond from custody or any incident in which criminal charges may result and any incident where civil litigation is a likely result”.

Grade 1 incidents are the most serious but no such incidents were recorded in Oberstown in the period.

The figures also show that, since the start of 2012 to the end of last August, three young people required medical attention following an incident — twice onsite and once offsite — while, in the same period, four staff required medical treatment.

There were also 10 occasions when children failed to return to the campus following home leave, while, in the same period, there were six absconsions from the campus and another three during off-campus visits.

Figures also show that, between 2011 and 2013, inclusive, just over €350,000 was paid out in legal fees and settlements relating to 19 separate litigation cases. Ten of those took place in 2012 in Trinity House School.

Separately, in response to a recent parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Children’s Minister James Reilly said there had been 62 assaults on staff at Oberstown between the start of 2011 and the end of 2013.

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