A 15-year-old youth terrorised workers at a specialist care unit in Limerick at the weekend when, at knife-point, he abducted one staff member and demanded to be driven to Dublin.
The incident took place at about 10pm on Saturday at Coovagh House, a specialist care facility in Limerick city for troubled juveniles in the care of the State.
The boy, who is from Dublin, initially threatened a female member of staff with a knife, demanding to be driven to the capital.
He subsequently abducted a male staff member after he intervened and offered to drive to Dublin in the place of his female colleague.
Gardaí in Roxboro Garda station in Limerick were alerted once the teenager had left and every Garda station on route to Dublin was notified, according to Supt Frank O'Brien.
Gardaí from Portlaoise, assisted by the Garda air support unit, finally intercepted the car at Ballmany, Newbridge, Co Kildare, just after midnight and the boy was arrested.
"We are pleased that the outcome was successful and that nobody sustained any physical injuries," said Supt O'Brien.
"Obviously this was a very traumatic incident for the staff members as it would be for anybody who had a knife pulled on them," he added.
The teenager was taken to Portlaoise Garda station where he was still being held last night under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
No injuries were sustained in the incident, however it is understood that the abducted staff member and his colleagues were very shaken after the incident.
A spokesman for the HSE confirmed yesterday that a full investigation has commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Coovagh House is a specialist care unit for troubled teenagers with facilities for up to five young males.
It is located on the grounds of St Joseph's Psychiatric Hospital on Mulgrave Street in Limerick city and is one of two such facilities in the country.
Children who are in the care of the State are sent to such facilities by special order of the High Court.
Built at a cost of €5 million, Coovagh House was completed in 2000.
It opened for a brief period in 2003 but had to close again due to staffing difficulties.
If finally reopened earlier this year and was built on foot of a High Court ruling by Mr Justice Peter Kelly in response to the lack of such facilities for disturbed teenagers around the country.