Teen who disappeared 30 times from HSE care remanded on bail

A 17-year-old girl who went missing from HSE care more than 30 times in recent months has been remanded on continuing bail at the Dublin Children's Court.

The troubled teenager has pleaded guilty at the Children's Court to criminal damage to a door, at a residential children's care home in north Dublin, on May 30 last.

Today,judge Hugh O'Donnell heard that the HSE are to hold a case conference in relation to the teen's future care.

The girl, who was accompanied to her case by a care worker, was remanded on continuing bail until a date next month for the case to be listed before another judge who had heard the evidence previously.

Earlier, she had spent a week in custody and was later released.

As part of her bail, she had been ordered to refrain from assaulting care staff, cooperate with her social workers, reside at a HSE children's care home and to comply with psychological and psychiatric assessments.

She had also been ordered to obey a 10pm to 9am curfew at the care home and refrain from alcohol and illegal drugs

Before Christmas, the court had heard that the teen was in the early stages of pregnancy and had been staying with an adult relative.

During the proceedings, the court has been told that she had already absconded from HSE care 35 times, in August and September, and then returned occasionally “to eat and change clothes”.

Neither the teen nor her mother attended a meeting held in October about her future care, the court has also been told.

Solicitor Gareth Noble, representing the teen, had said earlier that his client believed her current placement was “unsuitable” and that she wanted to be with her mother.

At an earlier HSE case conference in relation to the girl, it was decided that before she could return to her mother, she must take part in an educational course, and accept other services that help members of the travelling community.

However the teen, who has been in care for the past two years, has refused to engage with any of the measures.

In October, a garda had told the judge that the teen had been involved in “self harm,” and had shown suicidal tenancies on one occasion.