Specialised care - Nip troubled behaviour in the bud

The State is spending almost €30 million a year on specialised care for 72 disturbed young people. The main issue in relation to this should not be the cost, but whether proper treatment is being provided.

During 2006, almost €20,000 a week was spent on six children who were sent abroad for treatment that is not available in this country. A €5m special care unit has been closed for the past three years, and failed to re-open again last week in what was the latest in a succession of missed opening dates.

After Mr Justice Kelly of the High Court ruled in February 2000 that a number of non-offending children were inappropriately detained, a special care unit was opened in Coovagh House, Co Limerick, in November 2003. Although it was designed to cater for five boys, it only ever catered for three and the weekly cost of the unit was almost €50,000.