Vol. 461 No. 2
84 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Health the concerns, if any, he has regarding the increasing numbers of out of control children and the appalling lack of special care facilities for these children; the action, if any, he proposes to take on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2747/96]
I am aware of the problem of a small number of very unmanageable or out of control children. The health boards have developed a variety of responses to try to cope with these children, including the establishment of special fostering schemes and other special care arrangements.
In response to a number of High Court judgments, emergency facilities for individual children who have been found to be out of control have been developed by the Eastern and the Southern Health Board.
It is intended to make legislative provision for detention of children who are out of control but not offenders under the Juvenile Justice Bill. In the meantime a project team has been established in the Eastern Health Board area to prepare a model brief for a purpose built special care unit for such children. The project team is to complete its work by the end of April 1996 and every effort will be made to proceed with the planning and construction of a special care unit in the Eastern Health Board area as quickly as possible after that date.
