Four staff members have been suspended from duty at Oberstown youth detention centre pending an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the escape of four teenagers from the facility last week.
The four youths, aged 15 and 16, broke out of the Oberstown facility, near Lusk, at around 9.30pm on July 25th. It is understood they managed to get out of the exercise yard and made their way to an adjacent building site where they used ladders to scale the centre’s perimeter wall.
Oberstown staff became aware of the escape as it was in progress. No member of staff was harmed during the incident.
One of the boys, who suffered an injury to his ankle, later handed himself in to Swords Garda station. The other three youths remain at large.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that it received notice from Oberstown management that four members of staff had been placed on suspension, with pay, while a review is undertaken of the circumstances surrounding the escape.
Management within Oberstown expect the review to be completed by August 14th.
One of the staff members is represented by Siptu, while the other three are represented by Impact. Siptu official Ray Stanley said there will be a meeting with senior management on Friday and a general meeting of both Siptu and Impact members on Tuesday.
“My understanding is that the people who were on duty in the particular unit that night have been all suspended,” he said. “There haven’t been any interviews yet. They haven’t been accused of anything or anything like that at this point.”
The Oberstown facility, which is not a prison but where children on remand or serving a sentence are provided with education and training programmes, has been under pressure in recent years.
In May, a report from the committee that monitors the State’s prison and detention facilities said it was concerned that Oberstown may not have the resources to house the youths being sent there from St Pat’s.
Trade unions representing staff at Oberstown have reported a number of assaults against their members in recent months.
The statement from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs said there was “extensive and regular interaction” between management and staff on the Oberstown campus on the secure operation of the facility and the safeguarding of children and staff.
“The nature of employment in the children detention schools is to deal with challenging behaviours exhibited by the young people and unfortunately this results in assault on occasions,” the statement said.
“Staff have the benefit of an Assault and Injury Leave Scheme and today 10 members are out under this scheme for a combination of assault and occupational injury.
“It is important to note that Oberstown is a children detention school and not a prison and there is a major emphasis placed on the individual care and rehabilitation of children, to address their offending behaviour and ensure they can return to society to lead fulfilling lives.”
