A judge in a provincial District Court heard an application to the court for an aftercare plan hearing for a teenage boy. The court heard the boy had been on a full care order since 2019 and had a life-long diagnosis of moderate intellectual disability and autism. The Child and Family Agency (CFA) solicitor said the teenager was turning seventeen and was falling between CFA care and disability services.
He said the local HSE disability service had taken the view that the cases of another district [where A had lived before coming into care] had nothing to do with them, he said. A family welfare conference had been held by the CFA, but the HSE did not attend.
The guardian ad litem’s (GAL’s) solicitor said it was unacceptable that the HSE locally had refused to engage with planning for the boy. He expected the HSE would be joined as a notice party to the proceedings. The solicitor said the boy’s grandfather intended to leave his estate to the teenager and wardship might have to be considered.
The matter was put in to the following month’s hearing. The CFA solicitor said he would get fuller instructions and would have no difficulty putting matters to the next month’s court.
The judge said she had had the opportunity to read the GAL’s report and noted the view of the HSE as not very helpful. “[The boy] had complex needs, and I think we need to keep on top of this,” she said.
