A 15-year-old girl whose mother fears she will die because she has been taking drugs and drinking since the age of 13 was given bail with strict conditions at Galway District Court yesterday.
The girl, who was deemed "unruly" by the court on July 30th, spent the last two weeks on remand in the women's section of Mountjoy Prison. This was because there was no place for her at Oberstown House, a remand centre for teenagers in Lusk, Co Dublin.
The girl first appeared before the court two weeks ago, where concern was expressed for her safety by gardai and staff at a Western Health Board-run residential centre for teenagers in Galway city.
She had been placed in the care of the health board earlier this year after her mother sought an order obliging the authorities to take her into care.
However, she kept running away from the centre, and gardai found her on an almost daily basis under the influence of drink and drugs.
In court last week the girl's mother said she was afraid her daughter would end up dead and wanted her taken into custody. She said her daughter had been drinking and taking drugs since the age of 13.
The girl had once taken an overdose, her mother said, and had smashed up the family home a number of times. She had also attacked her seven-year-old sister and her mother. She regularly went missing for days at a time, was sleeping rough and mixing with bad types, her mother said.
In court yesterday Supt Michael Curley said a bed would be available for the girl in Oberstown House on August 27th. He would have no objection to her returning to the Galway residential centre on bail in the meantime, providing strict conditions were attached.
Mr Adrian MacLynn, solicitor, said the girl had the benefit of having spent the last two weeks in Mountjoy Prison and would now abide by any conditions laid down by the court. He asked to have the girl returned to the Western Health Board centre in Galway.
Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick remanded the girl on continuing bail to appear before the court on August 28th, on condition that she observe a curfew each night; not return to the centre under the influence of any intoxicant; agree to any medical checks deemed necessary by the centre; and obey all directions of its director.
He gave the Garda liberty to re-enter the case at any time and warned the girl she would have to obey the bail conditions or return to Mountjoy.