AGSI demands out-of-hours social workers for children

Garda officers today called for full, nationwide, out-of-hours social services to be set up to protect and care for at risk children.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) demanded action after a 15-year-old boy was forced to sleep on a makeshift bed in garda custody for his own safety.

The troubled teenager had been reported missing in north Cork on July 1 and was found the same night by local gardaí near Charleville.

Agsi said emergency mobile numbers, supplied by the Health Service Executive, were not answered however and the boy had to be kept overnight in Mallow.

Willie Gleeson, a member of Agsi's national executive, said it was a terrible disgrace.

"Gardaí are not trained to deal with children and garda stations do not have the facilities to cater for them," he said.

"Garda stations are also totally unsuitable places for accommodating children because they have to cater for many different kinds of persons, including those under the influence of intoxicants and those under suspicion for all kinds of crimes.

"There are no separate rooms for children and there are no facilities to feed and care for them properly."

Agsi has written to Children's Ombudsman Emily Logan asking her to step in. The group said the lack of out-of-hours care is a scandal that reflects on all state agencies with a responsibility for children.

The letter has also been sent to Barnardos, the Health and Children ministers, HSE chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and the Garda Inspectorate.

Mr Gleeson hit out at the HSE after it was claimed gardaí had to take responsibility for at-risk youngsters outside of normal nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday working hours.

"Quite apart from the factual inaccuracy of the statements, it has to be seriously questioned if this is in fact the mindset of the HSE," he said.

Agsi said the problem had been raised at its annual conferences in the past and with Health Minister Mary Harney but warned it appeared little progress had been made.

"It is time the state provided a service for its most vulnerable citizens," Mr Gleeson added.