The case of the disturbed 17-year-old girl who absconded over a week ago is expected to return to the High Court today following her detention in Kells Garda station at the weekend.
The girl was arrested by gardai at a friend's house in the northeast at 5.40 a.m. yesterday and taken to the Co Meath station, where she remained overnight. She is not expected to appear in court, but will be transferred to a therapeutic centre.
Last night it was expected the case would return to court today so health board officials could confirm the place was ready for the girl.
The girl was at the centre of two High Court hearings last week presided over by Mr Justice Kelly. He warned the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Health, and the Minister for Education that they would be held in contempt of court if a safe and secure place was not found for the girl.
The girl went missing on October 13th when she absconded from a special unit. It is understood she spent most of the last week in Dublin and left there on Saturday evening.
She then moved between two towns outside Dublin, one where she officially resides and a second town, from where she originates. She was located by gardai at a friend's house in her native town.
A court order issued on Friday by Mr Justice Kelly instructed gardai to arrest the minor and detain her in Kells Garda station and to transfer her to the controlled therapeutic unit as soon as possible. If the girl needed medical attention it was to be given to her at a suitable hospital.
The order also stated that the media were not to publish any information identifying the girl or the social worker handling the case.
A description of the girl and details of the order were circulated to each divisional Garda headquarters in the country and to each station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. Gardai in Dublin believed they had located the girl on Friday night when a taxi-driver called to a northside station and said he had taken her to the Mater Hospital. However, when officers followed up the information, which included a mobile number, it turned out to be another young girl.