THE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Alliance has expressed concern for the welfare of a boy who the High Court heard vomited up almost 40 bags of crack cocaine.

No special care bed is available for the boy, the High Court heard on Monday in a case reported in the Irish Times.

The court heard that Tusla had no special care bed available for him.

It also heard he had swallowed the bags to hide them from gardaí and feared what would happen when told they would be handed over to investigators, as it would have resulted in the boy finding himself in debt to a dealer.

The special care service is supposed to provide secure intervention for young people with extremely troubled lives, but staff shortages mean just 13 of its 26 beds are currently available. Children aged 11 to 17 may be detained by court order in special care where their circumstances and behaviours are such that they pose a threat to their own lives.

The boy, who the court heard is using fentanyl, is now missing.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One programme, deputy chief executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance Julie Ahern said that she was concerned for the boy’s safety and welfare.

Ahern said that some of society’s most vulnerable children have been “let down time and time again”, with the cases pointing to “bigger issues” within our child protection system that we need to fix.

“These are really tough cases to read about, especially when you see that these are really vulnerable children,” she said.

Ahern said the boy has been “through so much and to know now that he’s still missing” added to the concern, noting that he and other youths in the system are “really vulnerable” children.

Ahern said the lack of special care places for children has long been a problem.

“Really, you need to think about it in terms of coming from a place of a lack of investment within our child protection and welfare services,” Ahern said.

“Special care exists as a final safety net for children and young people who need really acute and specialist care.It’s a serious matter to be referred to a special care bed.”

Ahern said HIQA has highlighted the issue of an underinvestment in special care and a lack of staff.

“These staff need appropriate pay and conditions that recognise that, so we can get some of the best people into the special care systems that they stay there, and that they use their specialist knowledge to really support some of these children who’ve been through so much in their young lives,” Ahern said.

She added that children should be receiving supports in services in the community before there is an escalation to national services.

“But we know that Tusla’s budget has not increased in pace with the demand that they’ve been seeing. And in light of that, we are seeing that there’s further pressure being put on these services,” she said.

Instead, Ahern said the services are in “crisis mode” with child protection services “constantly battling fires” rather than being able to provide stable help.