Judge tells HSE to 'fulfil its obligations'

A judge has directed the HSE to attend the Children’s Court case of a troubled boy who needs to be placed in a secure therapeutic care facility.

Judge Clare Leonard also said the HSE needed to “fulfil their obligations” in relation to helping the boy.

The teen (aged 15) had been remanded in custody four weeks ago, with his consent, to the National Remand and Assessment Unit, a juvenile, detention centre, in Finglas, in Dublin.

He had been held there to allow for educational and psychological assessments of him to be carried out.

Today, his solicitor Ms Michelle Finan told the Children’s Court that the boy co-operated with the assessments during his time in the detention centre.

She said the assessment report furnished to the court expressed “serious concerns” about the boy’s safety and “the risk involved at returning home”.

The report recommended that the boy should be placed in a secure childcare facility.

Ms Finan said that the report made “glowing recommendations none of which can be followed through”.

She said the boy’s father had died in tragic circumstances earlier this year and he was stilling grieving for him. The charge before the court related to an incident in which the teen smashed a window at his home.

The boy’s mother, who was present for the case, wanted to take him back home “and would in a heartbeat if he could get the help that should be available for him”.

Judge Clare Leonard further remanded the teenager in custody to appear again next week. In doing so she stressed to him that “he is not being looked on as a criminal”.

She also added that this was to be made clear to the HSE which she directed to attend the case on the next date.