Every health board should appoint a children's rights officer, the independent childcare agency, Barnardos, said yesterday.
Responding to Mr Justice Kelly's findings, the organisation also sought a right to independent legal representation in court for children in care.
The East Coast Area Health Board, in whose care Kim O'Donovan had been placed, welcomed what it called the "clarification" provided by Mr Justice Kelly.
It said it had taken steps to "augment" its procedures in two areas - liaison with the garda∅ and the transmission of letters from young detained persons to the High Court and other persons.
It said it "welcomes Mr Justice Kelly's acknowledgement that there was no secure structured therapeutic environment available in the State at the time of Kim's detention. In this context, Newtown House was made as secure as possible in order to accommodate the young persons detained there"
The Fine Gael spokeswoman on equality, opportunity and family affairs, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, called on the Minister for Children to outline what new procedures were in place for communication between the health boards and the Garda. She also called for publication of the Department of Health and Children's own inquiry into the case.
A "thorough inquiry" into the case and into the crisis in child welfare services should be carried out by the Minister for Health and Children, the Labour Party's spokeswoman on education and children, Ms Roisin Shortall, said.
Barnardos' director of children's services, Ms Suzanne Connolly, said a five-year plan with very specific targets was needed to reform the childcare system.
These targets should include ensuring that at least 90 per cent of staff working with children in care were professionally trained.