A 15-year-old girl was again deemed "incorrigible and unruly" at Galway District Court yesterday and sentenced to one week in Mountjoy prison by Judge John Garavan.
The girl has been brought before the court regularly over the last two years.
She has recently been under the care of health board staff at a residential centre for teenagers in Salthill, Galway.
In recent weeks the girl absconded from the centre and was reported missing. She then came back and promised to behave herself, but she was back before the court yesterday after damaging property at the centre.
Reading reports on her recent conduct towards staff, Judge Garavan told the girl she was too violent and too bold and would have to go to prison for one week. He said he hoped a secure place would be found for her in the interim. He expressed hopes of meeting the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who was in Galway yesterday, so that he could impress on him the urgent need for more suitable places of detention for young people.
The judge said he had met Minister of State Mr Brian Lenihan two weeks ago on the same subject and had been promised more places would be coming on stream in line with the new Children's Act.