Vol. 480 No. 2
208 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if he will quantify the problem for 1996 or any recent period in respect of public concern regarding children being admitted to Temple Street Hospital and other children's hospitals for the want of secure foster or care beds for them; the number of children so admitted to Temple Street Hospital and the number of bed nights involved; and if he will give similar information for other children's hospitals. [13988/97]
Earlier this year my Department collected information from each of the health boards in regard to social admissions to hospitals for the month of January 1997. Eleven children taken into emergency care were placed in hospitals during that period.
The Eastern Health Board placed nine children in hospital as follows: one child was placed in Harcourt Street Hospital; two children were placed in Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin; one child was placed in The Meath Hospital; five children were placed in Temple Street Hospital.
The reasons for placement varied. Seven of the children were under 12 years of age. Four of the children, including the two children over 12 years of age, had complex medical histories requiring medical attention initially and four children from one family were placed in hospital by gardaí following the arrest of their mother. The length of stay varied from five days to four weeks. In those cases involving the longer stays, medical needs had led to the admission and medical treatment was required.
The South Eastern Health Board placed two children aged eight and four in St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny for one night as an interim measure pending their placement in suitable accommodation.
In addition, a recent study conducted by a social worker in Temple Street Children's Hospital indicated that from June 1995 to May 1997, 135 children were admitted or remained in hospital for family or social reasons other than medical intervention: the number of days in hospital for this group exceeded 3,000. A high percentage of children were admitted in an emergency situation and remained for less than one week but 20 children remained for more than 30 days and 6 children remained for more than 100 days.
