More than 100 children taken into care were temporarily accommodated in Dublin's three children's hospitals last year, even though they were not ill. Nuala Haughey, Social and Racial Affairs Correspondent, reports.
The hospitals are currently working with the health authorities and gardaí to put an end to the ongoing practice of "social admissions", whereby healthy children in care are admitted to hospital wards alongside patients.
These children can spend between a couple of days to a number of months in wards, according to a staff member at one of the hospitals who did not wish to be identified.
In one recent case, a child remained in the hospital for three months.
Hospital staff and social workers are concerned about the psychological effect on these children of such an inappropriate environment.
"It's very damaging for a child. After about a week in hospital they become very emotionally disconnected," said one medical professional.
Ms Mary O'Connor, of the Children in Hospital in Ireland group, said it was "wholly inappropriate" for children who are medically well to be placed alongside other children who are being treated.
The chief executive of Temple Street Hospital, Mr Paul Cunniffe, said there are concerns "not just that children are beside sick children, but that children who are not sick should not be in a hospital setting which is not appropriate for their emotional needs".
Of the 108 children admitted to the Dublin hospitals last year, a third were aged less than a year old, according to the Council for Children's Hospital Care, a joint board of all three hospitals.
The council said about 70 per cent of these children leave after a week.
They may return to their families or go into foster care.
In 2001, the total number of social admissions to the three Dublin children's hospitals was 118.
Requests to hospitals to accept such children generally come from gardaí at night and at weekends when health board social workers are not available to handle such cases.
In many cases, the children are taken into the relevant health board's care under Section 12 of the Child Care Act.
The three hospitals involved in the joint council earlier this year began working on ways to end the damaging practice, which they say has been happening for about a decade.
The hospitals have met the Eastern Regional Health Authority, gardaí and the relevant health boards to come up with interim measures in the coming months, according to its chief officer, Ms Helen Byrne.
The three Dublin children's hospitals are Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, in Crumlin, Temple Street Hospital and the National Children's Hospital, in Tallaght.