The solicitor for a young brain-damaged Dublin man, who has spent 22 months in a hospital in England, is calling for political intervention because a treatment facility in Ireland has not been found for him.
The 20-year-old Dublin man has been receiving treatment in St Andrew's Hospital in Northampton since August 2005.
According to his solicitor, Sarah Molloy, who asked for the identity of her client not to be published, he suffers from acquired brain injury, psychiatric and severe learning difficulties.
She has written to a number of politicians, including Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Health Mary Harney, appealing for their help in resolving the situation. "When he was placed in St Andrew's in early August 2005, it was envisaged that he would spend a maximum of 18 months there and that he would then return to the appropriate services in Ireland," Ms Molloy said.
"Despite the fact that he has now entered his 22nd month in St Andrew's, an onward placement has yet to be identified. He's extremely unhappy with his current placement and is anxious to return to Ireland.
"We understand that at present there is a dispute between the mental health and psychiatric services as to who is responsible for his welfare on return. It is difficult to see why this issue was not identified and resolved before now."
Strenuous efforts have been made by individual Health Service Executive (HSE) staff to find an appropriate placement, Ms Molloy said. However, she added that "there does not appear to be any facility in Ireland for people like him who are incapable of semi-independent or supported living".
"It is appalling that in the year 2007 we are still farming out the care of some of our most vulnerable citizens to other jurisdictions. We are calling on the HSE to identify and resource a suitable facility for him in this jurisdiction."
Over several months from late 2003 the man had been before the Children's Court for minor charges which were continually adjourned pending efforts to find him a placement in a care facility.
He had also spent weeks in prison on remand, where he had become distraught and suicidal.
The charges for being drunk and disorderly, breach of the peace, attempted theft of a moped, assault and criminal damage occurred at a time when he lacked parental support and appropriate medical care, the Dublin Children's Court had been told. They were later struck out after it was found that he was not fit to plead.
In October 2000, he was in a car accident and damaged part of his brain which controls his cognitive functions. This compounded existing emotional, learning and behavioural problems.