Oberstown management say children should not be 'used' to escalate industrial dispute

The Oberstown Child Detention campus in Lusk Co Dublin. Management at the facility said that industrial action 'creates a direct and unacceptable risk to the safety, security, and wellbeing of staff, young people, and all those on campus'.

Management of Oberstown Children Detention Campus is calling on Fórsa members not to use children “directly or indirectly, as a means of escalating an

industrial dispute".

The plea comes as the trade union plans a 12-hour work stoppage and the withdrawal of frontline staff from the campus without agreed emergency staff cover tomorrow, according to Oberstown.

It will be the fourth work stoppage in a month, following a ballot of Fórsa members which backed industrial action up to and including a full withdrawal of labour.

There is to be a further 48-hour work stoppage taking place from 12:01am on Monday, August 31, until 11.59pm on Tuesday, September 1.

Fórsa members picketed outside the offices of the Department of Children on Baggott Street last Tuesday in what the union said was a “continuing dispute over resourcing and safe staffing at the campus”.

In a statement this evening, Oberstown said it had been notified of further disruption tomorrow as part of the dispute.

'Unacceptable risk'

Management said the lack of agreed emergency staff cover during Tuesday’s action “creates a direct and unacceptable risk to the safety, security, and wellbeing of staff, young people, and all those on campus”.

While the statement said that Oberstown fully respects the right of staff to engage in “lawful industrial action”, it said industrial action in a detention centre for children “must be managed in a way that protects the rights, welfare, and safety of the children in our care”.

It added: “The withdrawal of all frontline care staff without derogation in this environment creates serious operational, safeguarding, and child welfare risks.” 

It also said the consequences of industrial action should not be transferred onto children “through increased isolation, confinement, or other restrictive practices”.

It warned that the rights and welfare of young people may be affected as a result of the planned action and said: “Children should not be used, directly or indirectly, as a means of escalating an industrial dispute.” 

'Proactive approach'

The statement said Oberstown had engaged extensively with the trade union, staff representatives, and the Department of Children through the Workplace Relations Commission.

It said Oberstown had taken a “proactive approach” in the past year in strengthening staffing, including:

• 23 frontline staff recruited over the past 12 months, including two social care worker apprentices.
• Net increase of nine frontline staff over the same period, with six whole-time equivalent frontline vacancies currently remaining across residential social care worker, night supervising officer, and day supervising officer roles. 
• 11 of 12 approved day supervising officer positions filled, all of whom remain in post, alongside the recruitment of six assistant unit managers, strengthening frontline management, supervision, and support across the campus.

It said almost two-thirds of Oberstown’s workforce have more than five years’ service, with 32.72% having between five and 20 years’ service, and 32.73% having more than 20 years’ service. A further 34.55% have up to five years’ service.

"All recorded campus incidents have reduced by approximately 29%, from 191 year-to-date in 2025 to 136 during the same period in 2026," it stated. "This includes all incident categories recorded on campus, including slips, trips, and falls; property damage; and other reportable events.

"Assault and injury leave is virtually non-existent in 2026; 0.01% of staff were absent in only two of the eight months of 2026.

"Low-level physical interventions have reduced by 40% year-on-year, with 30 recorded across more than 8,000 care nights in 2026 as at July 31."