Remand Centre Places Used For Residential Care Backlog

A quarter of the places in the State’s remand centres for under-16-year-olds charged with criminal offences are being used by children awaiting placements in suitable residential care units, it has emerged. At the Dublin Children’s Court today, Judge Leo Malone was told that there were 16 remand places for young people under the age of 16.

All of the remand spaces are full and four of them are being occupied by children on foot of High Court orders pending onward placements through the Health Service Executive to residential care units, not over criminal charges.

Two out of the eight remand beds in Oberstown Boys’ Centre are being used for care cases.

Two out of the six remand beds in the National Remand and Assessment Centre, in Finglas, Dublin, are also being used by children held on High Court orders pending the provision of care unit placements.