Court allows Irish-born baby girl to be transferred to UK

The High Court has cleared the way for the transfer to the UK of an Irish-born baby girl whose mother had come to Ireland to "escape social services" in that jurisdiction.

The court heard today the child was born at a private residence in Ireland in January of this year to a mother who suffers from a number of psychological problems.

Childcare proceedings had already been brought in respect of an older child.

Last month Mr Justice George Birmingham ruled that the child should be returned to the UK as it was in her best interests and because the UK was best placed to deal with her care.

Today, Ms Justice Iseult O Malley granted the Child and Family Agency CFA orders allowing the transfer of the child to the UK and granting the agency leave to make arrangements with social services in England for the transfer.

Barrister Sarah McKechnie for the CFA said the mother, who is a British citizen, had travelled to Ireland on a false ID “to escape social services in the UK”.

She said the child was taken into care in Ireland some weeks after she was born and after a concerned neighbour had made representations to the authorities.

Since taken into care she had been with a foster family.

The woman’s other child was currently being cared for in the UK by the children’s father.

Counsel said that it was envisaged that after a short period the baby girl born in Ireland would also be placed in the care of her father.

Lawyers for the child’s mother, who has had supervised access to her daughter, told the court it was her preference the child would remain in Ireland as she did not intend to return to the UK.