Staff at a children's residential centre in Dublin for young offenders have repeatedly highlighted for two years concerns for the welfare of residents there.
The Department of Education, which runs the centre, has been warned of an alarming increase of assaults on staff and a high turnover of employees which at times undermined its ability to function.
Finglas Children's Centre staff told the Department 18 months ago about concerns for their safety and that of children in their care.
Eighteen care staff and teachers signed a memo to the Department saying there had been a high level of serious assaults in previous months. A subsequent letter to the Minister, Dr Woods, from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation warned of "the alarming increase in violent assaults by children against care staff and teaching staff employed at the centre".
SIPTU says it wrote to the Minister and to his predecessor Mr Martin over a two-year period "advising them of a serious crisis at the centre, where the turnover of staff has become so alarming their ability to function has on occasion been brought into question".
However, it was not until the end of January this year following Dáil questions by Róisín Shortall TD, and submission of questions to the Department by The Irish Times that Dr Woods announced the appointment of independent consultant Mr Mike Laxton to conduct an investigation.
In the meantime, it is believed as many as 80 staff resigned, though it has not been established that all these were due to the trouble. Mr Laxton is believed to have visited the centre recently.
Finglas Children's Centre is made up of St Laurence's Special School, St Michael's Assessment and Remand Centre and the Grove Pre-Release Unit. St Laurence's is one of five special schools for young offenders run by the Department. The complaints refer to St Laurence's. Among these were:
Staff could no longer guarantee the safety or welfare of boys at the centre.
Some boys were fearful of being attacked by others.
Staff were the targets of "violent assaults" by boys at the centre.
Because of disturbances, the number of boys resident fell to an all-time low and on one occasion there were fewer than six.
There has been substantial and repeated damage to property by some of those boys resident there.
In repose to Ms Shortall, Dr Woods acknowledged the high staff turnover but argued this was occurring across the childcare sector.
He attributed the difficulties to redevelopment and refurbishment of accommodation. However, he ordered a "general inspection" of the centre by Mr Laxton.
Ms Shortall noted the centre had the capacity for 37 children but the maximum number in its care in previous months had been seven. "Has he considered the possibility that the atmosphere there and the ethos of management has contributed to extremely disruptive behaviour on the part of the residents?"
Staff are believed to have written to the board of the centre at least twice outlining their complaints and recommendations. They were said to be dissatisfied with what they saw as an inadequate response from the board.
In a letter to staff representatives in March 2000 Mr Anthony Keating, who has managed the centre for three years, agreed that "we need a radical review of the operations that pertain in the Care and Education Unit [St Laurence's\] for us to provide a safe and appropriate environment for young people to work and live in and to maintain appropriate safety levels for all the staff involved in the operation of the centre."
He had introduced a new management structure "which we feel will result in far more accountability and scrutiny of practice."
In January 2001 Mr Keating wrote to the INTO saying "it would seem that our poor communication has allowed issues to fester. I take personal responsibility for this poor communication as I should have been proactive in establishing formal structures for communication." He proposed a joint monthly discussion forum with the unions.
pomorain@irish-times.ie