Emergency order granted at Portlaoise court over concerns for boy (4)
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AN immediate Emergency Care Order was granted to the Child and Family Agency (Túsla) at the vacation sitting of Portlaoise District Court last week over serious concerns it had for the wellbeing and safety of a four-year old boy.
At the outset of the case, a solicitor for Túsla said he had some concerns about the press being present to report on the proceedings, as it dealt with some serious and sensitive issues.
Judge William Aylmer said that the proceedings were being held in-camera and assumed the press would observe in-camera rules and not identify those involved in the case.
The solicitor said that the care order was quite urgent as Túsla believes the mother might leave the jurisdiction with the child, as she had threatened to do so to a social worker.
A social care worker told Judge Aylmer that she had visited the mother’s home after receiving a report that two men had been seen in it with a shotgun, that turned out to be a false report.
She said following that, gardaí had carried out a welfare check at the home and expressed their dissatisfaction that two men were residing in it.
She said she had attempted to put in place a safety plan with the mother, but she refused to co-operate and threatened to take her son to England with her.
The care worker said: “I believe there is open drug dealing and intimidation taking place from the house. People that go to the door are intimidated and told to strip in return for drugs. The mother told me that she felt under threat and would leave her son in the house and go to the UK.” She said the day before the court hearing she had gone to the house but was told the mother was not present. “She rang me back and told me we were not taking her son. Gardaí searched the house later that night and found a pellet gun, a slash hook and drug paraphernalia.” The social worker said another concern she had was that the mother had informed her that she had not taken her prescribed medication for months.
She said that since the child was two years of age there has been concerns for his wellbeing, with several reports of neglect and told Judge Aylmer that a foster family was in place to take care of the child should he grant the care order application.
The solicitor said that he was also making an application for a warrant allowing gardaí to accompany care workers to the premises “to rescue the child.” Judge Aylmer said that he was satisfied with the evidence given in the ex-parte application and granted the order for Túsla to take the child into care and for the garda to accompany them while doing do.
