A CIRCUIT court judge yesterday condemned the parents of a family of 18 and accused them of crassly neglecting their children.
He ordered an investigation into social welfare payments they had received. If it was within his power, he said, he would have jailed them "for six or seven years".
Judge Harvey Kenny, sitting in Galway, told the parents they should be ashamed for having children and then not caring for them. He accused them of destroying their 16 year old son, who was before him, through their neglect.
The teenager was appealing a 20 month jail sentence from Galway District Court on sample charges of stealing cars and causing criminal damage over a two year period. Last week Judge Kenny ordered that his parents be brought before him.
The court heard that the boy stole cars, was a so called "joy rider" and had damaged vehicles. Following his arrest, said Sgt Martin O'Shea, the teenager was released on bail last year.
Between September and January he again became involved in car theft. "In many cases the cars were burnt. This young man used to get drink or drugs and then go and steal a car.
He had known both parents for a long time. The family lacked discipline and supervision at home. Last weekend they had been drinking, were involved in fighting in Galway city centre and had to be taken to hospital. The father had criminal convictions.
The parents had been prosecuted under the School Attendance Act, he said. He agreed with Ms Catherine Connolly BL, defending, that the boy "never really had a chance". He was the youngest of a gang of car thieves.
The judge had told the defendant that he had no regard for the law and was "going for the high jump" as he was not going to get time off his sentence.
He suggested the parents give up drink as they themselves had no discipline.
After the boy said he no longer wanted to continue burning cars, Judge Kenny said he would adjourn the case until June. In the meantime, he asked that the probation authorities investigate the parents and the family.