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Reporting on child care proceedings in the District Court in May 2025.

Falling Through the Cracks: An Analysis of Child Care Proceedings from 2021 to 2024
Latest volume of court reports from 2024
A summary of findings from 10 years of reporting

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    46

    Categories:

    Autism, Placement Breakdown, Residential Placement

    CFA misled on supervision of non-verbal autistic child in private placement; placement abruptly ended

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    45

    Categories:

    Lack Of Placement, Section 47

    Judge concerned about suitable placements for five children as successive extensions of interim care orders sought, weekly extensions only granted

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    44

    Categories:

    CAMHS, Special Emergency Arrangement

    Dublin District Court judge reluctant to make order for vulnerable girl in special emergency arrangement

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    43

    Categories:

    Placement Breakdown

    Judge orders urgent review to take place within two weeks for teenager in a placement unsuited to her needs

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    42

    Categories:

    Change Of Placement, Placement Breakdown

    Six placement changes in six weeks for two children aged two and three years

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    41

    Categories:

    Behavioural Problems, Criminality, Lack Of Placement

    No appropriate placement for boy with challenging behaviour facing criminal charges

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    40

    Categories:

    Access

    Judge praises teenage girl’s mother for positive steps taken to improve her life in order to form a bond with her daughter

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    39

    Categories:

    Access

    Access for mother increased where judge states CFA took side of father against mother

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    38

    Categories:

    Access, Aftercare, CAMHS

    Judge refuses mother’s application for increased access to three teenage children

  • Year:

    2024

    Volume:

    1

    Case number:

    37

    Categories:

    Adoption, Criminality, Domestic Violence, Habitual Residence, UK / United Kingdom

    Judge transfers jurisdiction to UK for child born in Ireland, whose parents came here to evade UK social services and potential adoption of the child

This follows the discontinuation of its reporting in July 2024, as the contract with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) was coming to an end. We are very pleased that we signed a new two-year Agreement with the DCEDY in March and the members of our reporting panel have agreed to resume their work.

Over a twelve-year period, the Project provided information to the public on the operation of the child care system in the courts with the aim of promoting transparency and accountability. It published 1,050 individual court reports and a number of analytical research reports, all of which are available on this website.