Father goes to court in attempt to stop HSE from placing son in foster care

The father of a a special needs child has gone to the High Court to try and stop the HSE from placing his son in foster care next week.

He claims the HSE is not acting in the best interests of the five-year-old boy, who has been living with his paternal grandmother in Dublin for the last two years.

The court heard the child's parents seperated after the father allegedly carried out a serious assault on his wife that left her nearly comatose.

Since then the five-year-old boy has lived mostly with his paternal grandmother but the HSE has concerns she may leave as she's not from Ireland and her husband doesn't live here.

The father of the boy is now challenging the HSE's decision to foster his son by an accelerated process that will see the child living with new parents by the end of next week.

He claims the boy is emotionally attached to his grandmother and that the transfer is being rushed through against the advice of the HSE's own Principal Clinical Psychologist while she is on holiday.

Mr Justice George Bermingham is allowing the challenge proceed but he's refused to stall the boy's transfer which he believes has been approached by the HSE with the greatest sensitivity.