Social services inspectors have expressed concern that children in a special care unit, which they found to be in a "state of crisis" last year, continue to feel unsafe.
While the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found evidence of improvement at the Gleann Alainn high-support unit in Co Cork, they said a significant amount of work remains to be done.
The HSE-run unit provides secure residential care for girls aged between 11 and 17 years who are detained on the basis that they pose a serious risk to themselves or others.
Last year, inspectors found that children in the unit were exhibiting signs of “disturbed and extremely high-risk behaviour”. In addition, the centre was in breach of national standards in relation to management, staffing and security.
In a follow-up visit last month, inspectors said they were satisfied that there had been some progress in improving management and care standards.
However, children they interviews said there were still occasions where they felt unsafe as a result of alleged bullying, targeting and assaults by other residents. This, inspectors said, was unacceptable.
External professionals also told inspectors their confidence in the service to be continue to improve or maintain existing standards was poor.
While Hiqa found improvements in accountability and management, they said the unit had a significant amount of work ahead to ensure it provided “a safe service which is underpinned by a strong, resilient management and staff team”.
Hiqa plans to carry out a follow-up inspection of Gleann Alainn within three months.
Just five children were detained in Gleann Alainn during last month’s inspection, though it has a capacity for more young people. It employs some 24 HSE staff. Of this total, six were on long-term sick leave.
It also had eight agency staff working on a full-time basis and three more available for relief work that provided cover for staff leave or illness.
While figures on the running costs are not available, a similar-sized unit in Co Clare costs €2 million a year to run annually.
Special care units such as Gleann Alainn were established following a High Court order in the late 1990s which found the State had a duty to provide care to troubled children.
Reports by Hiqa into all three special care units in Ireland have regularly highlighted issues such as severe staff shortages, a lack of clarity on lines of accountability and a crisis of confidence in the national special care and high-support management team.
