A 17-year-old heroin addict who is in a “very, very sorry state” was described as “dying before the eyes” of the professionals seeking to help him, Dublin District Court was told on Friday.
Judge John Campbell heard the boy was on three bags of heroin a day and sleeping in a single tent in a disused building with his mother and his teenage girlfriend.
The serious condition of the boy, who had been in care earlier last year, came to the attention of the authorities when he sought emergency support because of the cold weather.
He was returned on Thursday to a special care accommodation unit after he was prioritised over other vulnerable children waiting for a place.
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The boy will “age out” of the childcare system in a number of weeks when he reaches the age of 18.
“Every day counts at this stage,” the judge noted when being updated about the teenager’s welfare by barrister Donal Ó Muircheartaigh, instructed by solicitor Gary Irwin, on behalf of his court-appointed guardian ad litem Joanna Seery.
There will be an attempt to stabilise the teenager’s drug addiction and arrange an aftercare placement for him, prior to his reaching his 18th birthday.
Mr Ó Muircheartaigh said the boy had been in the special care facility last year and had undergone detoxification but, after he was discharged, “only lasted a day” in a step-down facility before he returned to using heroin.
The court was told that there are now only weeks available to try to assist the boy with heroin withdrawal and stabilise him before he reaches an age where he can no longer be detained involuntarily.
The judge adjourned the case for a week, saying he wanted to monitor the situation closely.
The State has beds for 26 children in secure accommodation facilities but only 15 of these are available for use because of staffing issues.
The boy was the subject of a special care order from the High Court in February last year but, because of the shortage of beds, was not placed in a unit until April.
He was the subject of a second special care order in October but again was not placed in a bed, because one was not available, until he was prioritised and given a bed on Thursday.
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