A baby boy is to go home with his parents after a judge refused the Child and Family Agency’s application for a six month care order to keep the child in the care of the State.
The baby was born prematurely in October last year, weighing just over two pounds in weight and was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease.
He has remained in the hospital since his birth, but is now ready to go home.
The Child and Family Agency (CFA) had been granted interim care orders for the child since after his birth and had applied to the District Court for a six-month care order.
The parents, who contested the case, have made plans to go to Dublin with their baby and to live with the father’s family.
Judge Tim Lucey at Cork District Court said yesterday that while it seemed there was sufficient evidence to make the interim care orders, "things have moved on," and that the baby was now "thriving."
“The baby is now 9 and a half pounds and is apparently doing very well. A lot of the danger and the apprehensions people had have receded,” he said.
The judge said the parents had been “exemplary” in the hospital, feeding and caring for the baby for the last 116 or so days.
He recognised that the baby’s serious health issues continued to exist and said the court was satisfied the circumstances existed to make a supervision order for 12 months.
A supervision order involves the parents being visited by social workers at home.