Latest news with #LeonieReynolds
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Child agency criticised for 'wholly unsatisfactory' response to court orders
A High Court judge has described the Child and Family Agency's attitude to judicial orders as 'incomprehensible and wholly unsatisfactory". Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds criticised the State agency responsible for the protection and welfare of children in Ireland after hearing that it had failed to comply with the suggestions of two District Court judges with regard to the care of a child. Advertisement Judge Reynolds heard that recommendations by both judges regarding the care of a teenager at risk of death by his own hand and a danger to others had been totally ignored by Tusla. 'This is an extremely vulnerable young person whose medical history speaks for itself,' Judge Reynolds told barrister Donal O Muircheartaigh, counsel for the child's legal guardian Mr O Muircheartaigh, who appeared with David McCoy of McCoy Solicitors, had outlined the teenager's difficult early childhood recalling that he had been in seven different placements prior to his current placement having been secured for him in June 2024. He said this placement had come to an end today Friday and the boy was being moved to a centre that both his guardian and the District Court had only yesterday, Thursday, raised concerns about. Advertisement Mr O MuircheartaighI detailed previous very serious reports from the boy's treating medical experts which had highlighted the high risk of death from suicide and pointed out to Judge Reynolds that special care had been specifically prescribed for him. Counsel went through 'the chaotic recent few weeks' where the direction of a District Court judge for a special care referral had initially been ignored and cited two District Court judges' recent concern at the breadth of the risk laid bare in professional reports and particularly one judge's view that he had never seen a report as concerning to the District Court. Mr O Muircheartaigh told Judge Reynolds that in light of the fact that the Child Family Agency did not seem to attach much weight to District Court orders, it was necessary to have the heft of the High Court's oversight to see if a more expeditious and timely change for the teenager could be arranged. 'It is important to bring this particular to the Croke Park of courts as opposed to the regional grounds where change is not occurring fast enough,' counsel said. Advertisement The court queried the current state of affairs on the 'no beds list' as monitored by the High Court and Mr O Muircheartaigh said there were currently 26 physical beds in special care with a capacity to staff only 15 of them. Ireland Dublin pensioner charged with harassing financial... Read More There were four children on the list who had an order registered against them that they require the safety and security of special care but had not been allocated a bed. They were also very serious cases. Judge Reynolds said it was hard to find a more apt case for special care and returned the proceedings to August 20th directing that the matter was of such urgency, because of the potential detriment to the child, that it could be re-entered before that date on notice to Tusla. The judge directed that the Child Family Agency be notified immediately of her directions and asked that the Agency be informed that she was astonished to note its failure to comply with a judicial direction A District Court judge recently condemned Tusla's handling of its duty and obligations toward children in its care and described such practice as 'shocking and appalling.'
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Rescue plan at specialist electrical systems business saves 480 jobs
The jobs of 480 workers have been saved after a court approved a rescue plan for Westport-based electrical contractor Instrotec. Approving the plan drawn up by examiner Joe Walsh of JW Accountants, Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds complimented the pragmatic attitude taken by the Revenue Commissioners in deciding to accept the deferment of significant payments due to them in order to save so many jobs. The court heard that Instrotec was a specialist electrical and instrumentation contractor working on complex projects such as data centres, semiconductor and pharmaceutical facilities as well as oil and gas plants in Ireland and Europe. It has 172 apprentices on its books, making it one of the largest trainers of skilled workers in the State. READ MORE Revenues had more than trebled in recent years from €11.7 million in 2020 to €39.2 million in 2023 as the company worked on contracts with industry leaders including Intel, Pfizer, Microsoft, Eli Lilly and MSD. The company got into trouble last year after delays and cost overruns on three specific projects, according to an independent report prepared by Cormac Mohan, an accountant at Fitzwilliam Corporate, which said the business, which went into examinership in May, had a reasonable chance of survival. The three projects were Eli Lilly's new plant in Limerick, a data centre project in Amsterdam and a Microsoft development in Sweden. Ms Justice Reynolds said the court considered the examiner's scheme of arrangement fair and equitable to all parties involved and would protect jobs going forward. She said Revenue's attitude was very helpful in ensuring survival of the company. The court was told that Revenue was not objecting to the scheme of rescue arrangement proposed by Mr Walsh. Counsel for Revenue said the jobs included apprentices and those employed in external agency contracts. Instrotec which also controls three international subsidiaries in Germany, Denmark and the UK, was founded in 2000 by Donal Johnston and Donna Johnston who have run the business for 25 years. Donal, a time served electrician with extensive instrumentation and control experience, had identified an opportunity in the market for a specialist contractor in the field of electrical instrumentation and instrument pipe fitting. Instrotec quickly established a reputation in the growing pharmaceutical and microprocessor manufacturing sectors as the foremost contractor for instrumentation and control systems. In recent years it had expanded on its existing electrical portfolio to establish a proven track record in the installation of various low and medium voltage electrical systems across a broad range of sectors. That allowed the Mayo business to provide an all-encompassing service across instrumentation and control, building management and industrial electrical systems.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Man locked out of Islamic Cultural Centre refused court order to restore him of his duties
Imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa, who has, among others, been locked out of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh, Dublin, since April, has been refused a High Court order requiring the Islamic Cultural Foundation of Ireland to restore him to those aspects of his position and duties that do not require the chained-up Mosque to be reopened. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds instead made directions regarding the exchange of written evidence in the proceedings and put the matter back to mid-September. She also directed that the Foundation address the health and safety concerns that had given rise to the closure of the Mosque. Advertisement Judge Reynolds told Halawa's legal team he had seriously delayed in bringing the proceedings since the closure in April, whenever mediation talks had terminated only on Wednesday morning, and his application was being brought without proper notice to the Foundation. The court also held that the request allowing Halawa, 69, and approaching retirement, perform duties outside the Mosque had not been made through correspondence and the Foundation had not had an opportunity to set out the reasons for the closure because it had not been served with papers backing up his application. Barrister Niall O'Huiginn, counsel for the Islamic Foundation, told Judge Reynolds that Halawa's application was not an appropriate one to have been brought to court. He said he had not been involved in the mediation, which had failed to deliver a successful outcome. He said there had been no evidence of urgency to have brought such an application during the legal vacation, and Mr Halawa was continuing to be paid even though the Mosque had been closed due to unfortunate circumstances. Advertisement Cliona Kimber SC, for Halawa, said her client was unable to minister to his parishioners and his reputation was being very publicly damaged. He had been left sitting at home without an invitation to public ceremonies that included the President of Ireland, the Taoiseach and Government Ministers. Judge Reynolds said there was no reason why the parties could not decide to return to mediation to resolve the issues and she was concerned there may be an ongoing garda investigation. Mr O'Huiginn said certain incidents had certainly been reported to the gardaí. She said she was not disposed to granting interim injunctions to Mr Halawa, and there were other avenues available to him, such as defamation proceedings. She would afford the Foundation to put in a replying affidavit to that of the plaintiff and a number of weeks and days for a further exchange of documents. Outside of any mediation and legal proceedings, there have been reports of rows and an alleged heave to displace Halawa as Imam, as well as governance issues and calls for a change in leadership of the Islamic Cultural Centre. Halawa is the father of Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa, who was released in 2017 after having spent four years in an Egyptian prison. Advertisement An attack on the Mosque and Centre, which have been chained up, has been publicly reported and the attendance at the premises by gardaí. It is claimed a decision to lock up the premises had been made because of concern for the safety of schoolchildren at the centre.
