A teenage girl who is a member of the Travelling community was rejected by her family because she spent a number of years in care among settled people, a court has heard.
The 17-year-old was before Dublin Children's Court yesterday to plead guilty to public order and theft charges.
Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin heard the girl had been remanded in custody in July over these matters. She was homeless, and efforts were under way to get the health services to provide her with accommodation.
The court had heard the girl had been intoxicated in a public place in Cork after sniffing an aerosol can. She also intervened in a Garda attempt to arrest a second person at the same time.
On May 22nd, she stole €500 from a friend after they met in Dublin's Temple Bar. They had originally met when she had been detained in the Ballydowd special care unit in Dublin. She took the other girl's jewellery and watch, and none of the property was recovered. The teenager had 13 previous convictions for assault and theft.
In mitigation, Judge Ní Chondúin was told the teenager had a difficult background, and two of her siblings died from drug-related illnesses. She had spent most of her life in care, and later had been disowned by her family because she had lived in the settled community.
Judge Ní Chondúin further remanded the girl in custody to Mountjoy Prison until Thursday to allow the proposals on her future accommodation to be presented to court.