Dublin District Court extended an interim care order (ICO) for a young child who had suffered severe neglect and directed the CFA to respond in writing to a series of recommendations from the guardian ad litem (GAL). The judge said the case involved “awful” and chronic neglect and noted that it was one of the worst examples he had seen.
The CFA representative told the court the child was in care, with a background of serious neglect. The child was now in a long-term placement, which had recently been confirmed as ongoing.
Counsel for the mother said the mother was not present. The father did not attend and was not represented.
The GAL’s representative said there was “a little bit more going on with this child” than might be apparent from the basic history. The GAL was concerned that the child was not meeting his developmental milestones. He was still walking on his toes and was not yet toilet trained. The GAL recommended that public health nurse reports be obtained and that a full paediatric assessment be carried out.
The foster carers wished to take the child on a trip to London, and respite would be needed in their absence. There was some uncertainty about whether the child had a passport. The GAL said the CFA needed to engage with the mother regarding consent for a passport, and that a further holiday was planned for the spring so the issue was not going to go away.
The GAL also supported a creche placement for two days a week, and recommended that the child have eye and hearing tests, as he tended to squint in the light and there were concerns about his hearing. A child-in-care review needed to be progressed and contact with a sibling needed to be facilitated. The GAL reminded the court that the child had come into care with lice and suspected worms, and that there had been serious reports from the public health nurse and neighbours about the level of neglect. There were also indications that the mother had been the victim of domestic violence.
The judge said there were clear indications of “awful neglect” and described the neglect as chronic. Neither parent was attending court. He said further work was required on the passport and travel issues and that the foster carers’ plans would have to be managed properly. He directed that the CFA address and respond in writing to each of the GAL’s recommendations, saying there was “a history of bad care” which was upsetting and sad.
The GAL’s representative told the court she was considering asking the court to order an independent review of the CFA’s decision-making in the case. She noted that the case had first opened in 2022 and had been closed again in 2024, despite the extent of the neglect that had since emerged.
The judge said the CFA should discuss with the GAL how this had been allowed to happen. He extended the ICO for a further four weeks and said that at the next date the CFA would be expected to address the issues the GAL had raised.
After those involved had left the room, the judge specifically asked the reporter than it be noted for the report that this case involved some of worst neglect the judge had even seen. In particular the judge noted the child’s inability to walk properly when he came into care, and remarked that it was one of the most extreme examples he had ever seen.