After months of waiting, a troubled homeless boy, who had been on the streets because the State had no facilities to hold him, has been admitted to the Ballydowd special care unit.
The Dublin Children's Court had heard that the boy (15), who is in the care of a health board, had been repeatedly freed on bail. A conflict between two health boards authorities had caused the teenager to be let out, the court had heard. The Northern Area Health Board wanted the boy to be sent to the special care unit but the South Western Area Health Board, which runs the unit, disagreed.
The boy had been put out of his family home because of his behaviour. For over two months he used hostel accommodation but on occasions there were no beds and he was arrested twice walking the streets. He was eventually remanded to a detention centre because there had been no movement on a possible admission date to the unit.
He had been arrested for taking €2 worth of sweets from a shop while homeless. He was also charged with an alleged assault arising out of an incident in which a man was mugged when he had a corkscrew held to his neck.
After he was given bail in September, he skipped court twice and when later arrested he attacked his Garda escort and escaped while on the way to court.
Two weeks later, the boy was again given bail because there was still nowhere to put him.
Judge Patrick Brady was told yesterday the High Court had made an order which compelled the special care unit to take the boy.