The Garda Commissioner has expressed concern to the head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) about the state of out-of-hours services for children at risk.
Many gardaí say they are frustrated at the lack of availability of the service which leaves gardaí in some areas performing the role of social workers at weekends or at night-time. The issue came to public attention last January when it emerged that gardaí in Co Waterford had alerted health authorities about the risk-taking behaviour of troubled 14-year-old Michelle Bray, who later died from inhaling solvents.
The teenager, according to Garda sources, had been involved in risk-taking and sometimes violent behaviour over the previous two to three years.
It is understood that the Garda commissioner raised the "urgent need to attain an improved out-of-hours service" for children with the chief executive officer of the HSE, Brendan Drumm, last month.
The issue was also discussed at a meeting of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in February where Mr Conroy spoke of the demands being placed on gardaí to deal with children at risk.
He said: "From time to time we experience problems in Dublin, for example, in cases of young people from dysfunctional families becoming involved in incidents or sleeping rough. We must intervene in such situations. Due to the time of the morning or night in question, the other services are unavailable."
Mr Conroy said much work had been done to alleviate problems in Dublin city centre in particular, but he said problems may exist elsewhere.
Waterford-based FG TD John Deasy, who raised the issue with the commissioner at the PAC, has called for a review of services for children at risk. He said there was significant frustration among social workers and gardaí over the ability of health services to meet the needs of some children at risk.
"This will not be dealt with by looking at one agency. All relevant State bodies - the Garda, Departments of Education and Health, local authorities and the HSE - need to get together to resolve this," he said.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the HSE said it was determined that the serious issues concerning children and young people at risk of neglect or abuse, who come to notice in out-of-hours circumstances, will best be addressed through an integrated, multi-agency approach.
A working group has been established with representatives of the HSE, Garda and Focus Ireland to complete a needs analysis and make recommendations for the development of the service, especially in areas such as medical services, accommodation and counselling.
It is also examining out-of-hours social work models outside of Ireland.
The group is due to produce a draft report in June this year.
