A 17-year-old youth living in a guesthouse with two Eastern Health Board staff is costing the taxpayer £5,000 a week, the High Court has been told.
The EHB cannot find a private landlord willing to rent accommodation to the youth who has been in care since he was two years old.
The Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, has refused to keep the youth on the grounds that he is sane. The youth is in need of special care, the High Court was told yesterday.
Mr Justice O'Sullivan was told the EHB had no suitable accommodation for the youth and was keeping him in a private guesthouse.
Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, who appeared with Mr Felix McEnroy, for the board, said his client was trying to lease a particular premises and would have suitable accommodation for the youth by February 2nd.
When Judge O'Sullivan said there was little he could do at this stage, Mr Gerard Durcan SC, who appeared with Mr Bernard Condon, for the boy, said the matter would be mentioned again on Monday before Mr Justice Kelly who had been dealing with his application prior to the High Court vacation.
Mr Durcan is seeking a court order directing the board to take the youth out of his present "unsuitable" accommodation and provide proper facilities and living quarters for him.
An earlier hearing of the court was told that the youth was now living in a room and having his meals in the guesthouse.
Two health board staff were accommodated in an adjoining room to provide round-the-clock supervision.
A health board social worker said the youth had previously been sent to the UK where he had been housed in a privately run facility. However, he had got into trouble and had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment.
As a result of his imprisonment, he had become depressed and difficult to manage and had been returned to Ireland.
He had been brought to Dundrum Psychiatric Hospital but the hospital had refused to keep him on the grounds that the youth was perfectly sane.
Attempts had been made to find a landlord who would offer him accommodation, but none had been found, even among those who normally dealt with the board.
The application was adjourned to Monday before Mr Justice Kelly who was stated to have been conducting a "continuing hands-on assessment" of the matter.
The EHB refused to make a statement on the case yesterday on the grounds that it is before the courts.
It is believed that the cost quoted in court includes having two staff on duty with the youth at all times and the cost of therapy.
Two secure units are due to be built in the EHB area.