‘Gardaí Were Called, John Was Arrested, He Was Then Placed In The Homeless Shelter’

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Marie O’Halloran, in The Irish Times, reports:

A family who say they are unable to cope with a 16-year-old son with Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder have complained that the authorities have placed him in a homeless hostel rather than an appropriate care setting.

Tom, not his real name, said his son had a breakdown, and that the homeless shelter in Dublin city centre was not the appropriate place for him.

“He is kicked out at 9am and cannot go back in until 5pm,” said Tom, who is concerned about his son mixing with drug addicts.

… Their son was suffering from such bad anxiety and bullying that he did not go back into secondary school last year for transition year. About three weeks ago, while living with his mother “he went really bad, he just lost it”.

Tom describes his son’s anxiety attacks as “horrific”.

“It’s like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde. He was roaring and shouting and kicking walls and he didn’t know why. My son has a psychiatric problem. He needs help, and there is no help out there.”

Gardaí were called, and John was arrested. He was then placed in the homeless shelter on July 24th, and has been there since apart from one night when he went back to his mother’s house but again “lost it”.

‘My child is invisible to the HSE as his problems are mental’ (The Irish Times)

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10 thoughts on “‘Gardaí Were Called, John Was Arrested, He Was Then Placed In The Homeless Shelter’

    1. Jackdaw

      There goes Bodger trying to blame the Gardai (yet again) for something that’s clearly the responsibility of the HSE.

      1. Paps

        “His mother and I split up. I’m remarried and she has another partner. When he was in primary school teachers blamed us, his parents, for being separated.”

      2. Tomorrow never comes

        Where is that – in the article behind the paywall?

        The way it’s framed here you’d swear it’s all the cops fault that this lad’s father abandoned him.

  1. Vote Rep #1

    Not sure what the Gardai were meant to do here. They took him from the parents and, I assume, tried to get the HSE to take him. When they wouldn’t/couldn’t, what should they have done?

    1. Nigel

      They should have had access to appropriate accomodation and care for someone in this condition? Not necessarily the Guard’s fault, and I’m not sure why people seem to think the Guards are being blamed for what’s clearly an abysmal HSE failing, but that’s the crux of it.

        1. Jackdaw

          There are very serious editorial issues over this article. This is clearly a failure of the HSE yet once again we have a Broadsheet.ie journalist with a very selective headline and a photo taken outside a Garda Station. This is not balanced, patently unfair and is unfortunately in line with the recent poor standards displayed by this particular journalist. I look forward to a reply to my comments but won’t hold my breath.

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