The State has no suitable facilities to house the girl whose treatment led to a High Court contempt warning against three Ministers, according to the campaigning priest, Father Peter McVerry.
Father McVerry said the Ministers for Justice, Education and Health could "pull something together" to fulfil the letter of the law and avert a contempt order. "But the sort of safe, therapeutic care that this extremely disturbed young girl needs is not there and cannot be produced in the short or medium term."
The Government had previously been ordered to provide secure and high-support units, he added, and in practice it was taking two to three years to produce these. The 17-year-old at the centre of the latest controversy had apparently absconded from a high-support unit and needed more specialised care.
Finding a suitable premises was the easy part of the task, but the real problem was staffing it with suitably qualified people. "I have a certain sympathy with the Minister here, because this person needs very specialised care and I would wonder if the necessary skills are available to them," he said.
Father McVerry said the case also highlighted the inadequacy of pay and conditions in this area, since even ordinary hostels were finding it difficult to attract and keep staff.
"The health boards are mad if they don't look at pay and conditions, which are simply not conducive to good staff staying. The reality is that if anyone is any good, they can get out of this and walk into a nine-to-five job, Monday to Friday, with a higher salary."
His comments on pay and conditions were echoed by SIPTU, which said that the so-called "sleep-over rates" for residential care workers amounted to "abusive practice". Its Dublin health service branch secretary, Mr Paul Bell, said: "It is bad enough that childcare workers are paid £15 for a 10-hour night shift. But when hostel supervisors are paid only £5 for a total night shift then the injustice of this practice cannot be ignored."
The Eastern Regional Health Authority had rejected a claim on behalf of hostel supervisors almost two years ago and the matter was now going to the Labour Relations Commission for conciliation, he added.
