'Monday to Friday' social workers could not appear at weekend court sitting

Social workers did not come to a weekend court appearance of a 14-year-old boy who has been missing from care for 10 weeks because they only provided a Monday to Friday service, a judge heard today.

The 14-year-old boy had been charged originally at a district court sitting on Monday, August 10 last with criminal damage to a window at a property in Tallaght, on August 8 last.

He was then released on bail to appear at the Dublin Children’s Court three days later, on condition he resided at a Health Service Executive (HSE) care placement in Co Kildare.

However the teenager did not attend his case at the Children’s Court on August 13 last.

On that date, his solicitor Gareth Noble explained that soon after the boy was given bail, at his previous District Court appearance, he absconded from a care worker while travelling on the LUAS. A bench warrant was then issued for the teen’s arrest.

Judge Bryan Smyth heard at the Children’s Court today that the teenager had since been arrested and brought before the District Court, on Saturday last. The boy had been charged with possessing a knife at the GPO Arcade in Dublin’s city-centre.

Mr Noble said that when the teen was brought before the District Court a social worker did not attend the case.

“The social work team were not in a position, the Garda was told that it is only a Monday to Friday service,” Mr Noble said.

The teenager was then given bail until today and since turned up briefly at a foster home, on Tuesday last, but then absconded again.

Mr Noble told Judge Smyth that the young boy had previously lived for some time with his grandparents, who were present for the case today. His social worker and a solicitor for the HSE were also present.

However, Mr Noble added that the boy “has been missing from his home for the past 10 weeks”.

He said the boy has repeatedly fled from foster care placements arranged by the HSE.

Due to the boy’s “challenging behaviour” the grandparents felt they could not give him the type of care he needed. When given bail at the weekend, the teenager had been released to reside in hostel accommodation, which Mr Noble submitted was “unsatisfactory”.

He said the boy was “effectively classified as missing at this stage” and added it would be appropriate for a bench warrant to be issued to have the teen brought back to court.

A solicitor for the HSE told the judge that a number of care placements were being considered for the boy.

He also said that the HSE’s National Discharge and Admissions Committee had previously turned down a request to place the boy into a secure children’s care unit.

However, he added that this decision was being appealed and at present a foster placement was still available.

In response, Mr Noble told Judge Smyth that the teenager was adamant that he did not want to be in a foster home. “The experience has been that when that has been made available, he absconded at the first opportunity,” he said.

He said that the boy’s grandparents believed the teen needed high-support care.

“So it would seem,” said Judge Smyth. “In the circumstances I think I have no alternative but to issue a bench warrant,” he added.