Mr. Fred McBride:

We certainly do not want youngsters to be inappropriately placed in a Garda station. If it was children who were completely out of control, I might well want them to be in a Garda station or a hospital, if they were full of alcohol and drugs, as I would want the hospital to have a look at them to see whether they were okay before placing them anywhere. These occasions are relatively few and far between, and in most instances where the Garda invokes a section 12 and we decide that the youngster needs to be in care, a placement is found for them. We are also increasing the number of emergency residential beds we have across the country in order to try to deal with those youngsters who would not be suitable for a foster placement but who may well be placed in a residential bed. We are trying to increase that capacity. I agree with the Acting Chairman's point that we do not expect the Garda to have to look after children all evening in a cell but, likewise, there are some situations where youngsters are so out of control that perhaps the Garda or a hospital needs to have a look at them.

A question was asked about the St. Andrew's facility which is located in Northampton. Tusla has certainly reduced the number of children it sends there on care orders. The vast majority of them are subject to mental health legislation and some are subject to both mental health legislation and care orders. It is a mental health facility and where children in that facility are also subject to care orders as well as mental health legislation, we visit them on a regular basis. They are subject to child care reviews and we try to facilitate parents to visit them wherever that is appropriate.