New Homepage 2025

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:

    31

    Categories:

    Foster Care

    Teenager returns to foster family following section 47 application by foster parents and GAL; thanks court for intervention

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    30

    Categories:

    Missing In Care / Absconding / Running Away, Placement Breakdown

    Appropriate placements sought for two separate teenagers

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    28

    Categories:

    Change Of Placement, Mental Health, Physical Abuse, Section 47

    CFA seeks change of placement for non-verbal child where abuse alleged

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    27

    Categories:

    Behavioural Problems, Residential Placement, Section 47

    New residential placement found for a troubled teen nearing 18 following judicial direction that the CFA’s CEO explain why agency unable to meet obligations

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    26

    Categories:

    Abandonment, Newborn

    Dublin District Court grants full care order to 18 years of age for very young baby abandoned by mother

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    25

    Categories:

    Addiction, In Prison, Mental Health, Neglect

    Care Order till 18 for young child where the father’s whereabouts unknown, mother uncontactable

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    24

    Categories:

    Addiction, Cognitive Disability, Homelessness, Physical Disability

    Full care orders for two children with significant special needs

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    23

    Categories:

    Newborn, Parents In Care

    One year care order with consent granted for infant whose mother had recently left care

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    22

    Categories:

    Addiction, Drugs, In Prison

    Parents consent to two-year care order for young child while they work on addictions

  • Year:

    2023

    Volume:

    2

    Case number:

    21

    Categories:

    Adoption, Habitual Residence

    Dublin District Court refused Care Order and extended interim care order to allow time to identify child’s father, adoption sought

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.