A Dublin District Court judge agreed to a request from a young person he had put into care, who was about to age out of care. The boy in question wished to see “where it all happened”, the court where orders were made to bring children into care.
The boy was happy for the CLRP court reporter to sit in on the meeting. The meeting took place in the courtroom, in a relaxed manner, with the boy’s GAL sitting beside him. The judge stepped down from the Bench and sat with them, greeting the boy warmly. He remarked that it was a sign of his maturity that he had wanted to come in and meet the judge.
The judge began by giving him a quick tour of the courtroom, which historically was used as a criminal court, before the Criminal Courts of Justice were built up the road. The judge explained that since then the courthouse had been used exclusively for child care matters. The judge went on to say: “It doesn’t matter why you came into care. It wasn’t your fault. What is important is what happens to you. We want to ensure that you avail of all supports and services available to you.”
The young person had been residing in a Tusla-registered residential care home for children and young people. The boy commented that his after-care manager was very good. The judge concurred that the after-care manager had been working with children in care for 25 years and “her heart is in the right place”.
The judge asked the youth what were his plans for the future. He explained that he was going to the Fleadh Cheoil in Belfast during the summer, where he would compete in a competition. He had taught himself to play his instrument with the help of YouTube.
There was also a special dinner planned for his 18th birthday, which would be attended by his mother, father, siblings, and support worker. He stressed that he wanted that support worker to attend, as they all got on well with her. The judge asked if the youth was getting on with his parents. The youth replied that he did not communicate much with them, but that they were doing well.
The judge joked that it was understandable that a teenager might not communicate much with their parents. The boy said he “hangs out” with his siblings, especially his brother, who was residing in another residential care centre. He said that his brother had expressed worry that he would not see him as much when he exited from care. He said that he really enjoyed playing video games with his brother, but said that they would love a gaming console, as playing on the laptop was a bit limited. He said he loved his brother’s imagination, “he is in the game.”
The judge asked: “So you will stay with Fresh Start until you have finished your Leaving Certificate?” The boy confirmed that was correct, he was going into sixth year and hoped to go on to work in social care, maybe in the area of counselling. He told the judge: “I am good with people and care about my friends.”
He told the judge about his other interests. “I DJ and make music. I’d love to be a singer and go to a recording studio, be in a band and go on tour.” He said that he had produced a song the previous year in a recording studio. He hoped to work in social care while pursuing his love of music. The judge asked what his favourite subjects in school were and he replied: “English and Art”, and he confirmed that he swam a lot, being a “swimaholic”.
He told the judge that he passed his driving theory test and was taking driving lessons; “I do double lessons and am saving for a car”.
The judge noted that the boy had recently received a “Student of the Year” award in school. The boy said that he was continuing to see a psychologist online every two weeks and in person every six weeks. He said that the psychologist was in his 80s now and he found their sessions beneficial. The psychologist had advocated for him to be able to stay with Fresh Start until he finished his Leaving Certificate.
The GAL explained to the judge that a difficult-to-obtain “derogation” was secured, which allowed the boy to remain living in the same house with the same people beyond the age of 18 until he completed the Leaving Certificate. The GAL noted that the boy “is a joy, he gets on with everyone in the house and they all love him.” She said: “The key thing is how open [the boy] is to relationships, which means he gets supports.”
The after-care manager told the judge that she and the young person were very happy with his after-care plan. She said that his had mother had said if the boy was happy, she was happy. The manager said that where he was living was one of the nicest residential centres she had seen in a long time, “they all sit down to dinner together, that is not often seen.” She was confident that he would “get the best out of the after-care service, which will be available to him for five years”.
She said the she and the other professionals working with the boy were very proud of him. “He is very charming and has lots of empathy.” The judge said to the after-care manager that the boy “likes to keep in touch with his brother and would like a gaming console,” which the after-care manager “noted”.
In summary, the judge said it was “most unusual that we have such a good news story. “As student of the year, the court wishes him well and thanks all who brought him this far. What’s important is to look to the future. His plans include driving, the Fleadh festival, a family dinner, his Leaving Cert, and more. He is close to his parents and they are invited to the dinner.”