Security company detains disturbed children
Amazing revelations have come to light in the High Court this week concerning the detention of disturbed children by a private security firm, Secureways Ltd, at the behest of the Eastern Health Board.
Secureways is a company owned by former Garda and unsuccessful 26-County Presidential candidate, Derek Nally. There is no direct involvement of the Health Board in this private company, and less than 10% of their staff have any appropriate qualification.
Judge Kelly, who has heard many of the cases concerning the constitutional rights of these disturbed children and who is holding a court inquiry into the conduct of the Health Boards, said that he knew nothing about the Health Board's involvement of a private company in meeting their duty to care for these children.
In the High Court, legal representation for the Health Boards asked Judge Kelly to discharge himself from the case on the grounds that the judge had prejudged the matter and consequently the health boards would not receive a fair hearing.
Judge Kelly refused their application. The Health Boards then appealed the judge's decision not to discharge himself to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the child who first took legal proceedings to the High Court in 1995 leading to Judge Geoghegan's landmark decision establishing the constitutional rights of disturbed children to appropriate care and education, died at the age of 18 last week.
Justice Kelly, commenting on his tragic death, said that he hoped the youth ``has found the peace, tranquillity and serenity which eluded him in this life''.
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