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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:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    51

    Categories:

    Autism, Residential Placement

    Orders continued by High Court for child with severe ASD as wardship considered

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    50

    Categories:

    Autism, Cognitive Disability, Mental Health, Residential Placement, UK / United Kingdom, Wardship

    Order extended further detaining youth in UK specialist unit since 2020

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    49

    Categories:

    Mental Health, Physical Disability, UK / United Kingdom, Wardship

    Young deaf man with mental health issues in UK unit for four years

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    48

    Categories:

    Additional Issues, Lack Of Service, Mental Health, Sexual Abuse, UK / United Kingdom, Wardship

    Ward of court twice in UK for specialised treatment not available in Ireland; judge expressed wish to see similar service in Ireland

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    47

    Categories:

    Mental Health, Wardship

    Girl in wardship with “severe and enduring mental illness” detained in specialist unit abroad as no suitable place in Ireland

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    46

    Categories:

    Aftercare, Cognitive Disability, Wardship

    High Court asks CFA to consider its obligations to young people leaving care who lack capacity

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    45

    Categories:

    Sexual Abuse, Wardship

    Applications to detain former Wards of Court can be made under inherent jurisdiction of High Court, following commencement of Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    44

    Categories:

    Mental Health, Mental Health Act, No Mental Health Service

    Teenager detained under provisions of Mental Health Act; GAL criticises lack of assessment

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    43

    Categories:

    Behavioural Problems, Disability, Lack Of Service, Physical Disability

    High Court rules that detention of a vulnerable girl with a disability in hospital emergency department for almost 60 days was unlawful

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    42

    Categories:

    Introduction

    Court makes Practice Direction to ensure CFA sends reports to lawyers in time

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.