Children in care - Closing Ráth na nÓg rare forethought

On average, more than one child in care is injured every day, and more than 56% of those injuries require hospital treatment. These figures form part of a very disturbing picture.

During the 18 months up to the end of 2012, injuries to 268 children in care were reported in the Dublin Mid-Leinster area. Of those, 89 cases required doctor or hospital care, while 96 injured children in care required such medical treatment in the Dublin North-East area, even though less than half as many injuries were actually reported. Such figures are alarming when one considers that the total in care in July was 374.

Inspectors from the Health Information Quality Authority (Hiqa) who visited Ráth na nÓg, the high-support unit catering for 10 very disturbed children in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, produced a damning report that recommended immediate action. When the recommendations were not implemented by the time of the next inspection, a month later, the HSE decided to close the premises.