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Oberstown Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie via RollingNews.ie

Child at Oberstown detention centre has a €25,000 contract out on his life

The teenager is involved with an organised crime gang.

STAFF AT THE Oberstown detention centre in north Dublin have been informed that one of the child detainees has a €25,000 contract on his life, TheJournal.ie has learned.

The child, who was sent to the centre due to his violent behaviour, has been involved with an organised crime gang and it is understood that staff at the centre now have to make additional security measures to make sure he is protected.

It is understood that staff have concerns that they would not be able to protect the child in the case that an attack would happen. The child has to attend court frequently and no additional safety measures have been made to his transport routine as a result of the threat to his life.

A number of makeshift shivs have been found on the campus in the last six weeks. While there is no evidence to suggest that they were to be used to attack the teenager, staff cannot discount that the young man was being targeted.

Sources have told TheJournal.ie that the highly-volatile detainee is aware that there is a threat to his life but said he would be considered “relatively safe” on the campus as the number of young people who share services such as education or sport is limited and those who seemingly get on with each other are often mixed together in a bid to limit the possibility of any outbursts of violence.

Staff at the centre have been urging management install safeguards.

A review of the centre, ordered by Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, found that a serious lack of resources meant that recommendations identified in the review could not be implemented.

It read: “The limited available resources – both human and financial – have also been identified as a barrier to the implementation of some recommendations. This is evident in a number of ways. First, Oberstown resources are finite and can only be stretched so far given that it is the priority of the campus to provide 24/7 safe and secure care to young people referred by the courts on a day-to-day basis.

“In this way, the balance must be carefully struck between ensuring that Oberstown provides the best possible care to young people today, while continuing to advance the development of the Campus for the future.

“Limited resourcing is relevant therefore to the limits on the capacity of staff – to undertake training and to bed newly acquired learning into practice – and the extent to which financial resources could and should be made available to advance the review recommendations, especially bearing in mind any risks to the standard of care currently provided.

“It is important to note that some recommendations may be very costly to implement, while others might not require financial resources at all but will simply take time to take effect.”

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs said that has not published the most recent report into the operation of Oberstown, which was received in April 2018.

“The Minister [for Children] wished to be assured that fair procedures had been followed in relation to all persons referred to in the report before it can be published,” a spokesperson said. “Fair procedures means that each person must be afforded an opportunity to respond in a substantive manner, rather than simply by means of a factual accuracy check.”

“The Board has not been in a position to provide such assurances to her to date and on this basis the Minister does not proposed to publish the report.”

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    Mute Sandra Corbett
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    May 8th 2016, 2:54 PM

    I’m from Cork. I’ve lived in Fort McMurray for almost 20 years. We got out safely on Tuesday and 2 of my kids who’d first been evacuated to the north got out on Wednesday. Fort McMurray has a large Irish community, many who had moved elsewhere in Alberta over the years. They’re the ones who’ve taken us into their homes and are helping us. People have been amazing with their generosity. We have no idea when we can go back and can only watch and wait.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    May 8th 2016, 3:41 PM

    Wishing you a speedy return home, the Irish dispora in Alberta will be there to help you rebuild.

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    Mute Patrick J O'CONNOR
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    May 8th 2016, 5:31 PM

    @Sandra Corbett……..This is a huge tragedy and will be tough for all affected.But as you are finding out Albertans and Canadians care and will be there ’til this gets back to normal. I’m glad you are safely away from the danger. In case you or someone you know are unawares below is the FB help guide.
    —”An open-source Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Fort-McMurray-Evacuee-Open-Source-Help-Page-1542379816069211/ has been set up to help evacuees with information and resources. People have been using the page to assist evacuees with any items and shelter they might be able to offer. —”

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    Mute Notthatguy
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    May 8th 2016, 9:47 PM

    Make sure you have proof of address anywhere you go, offers are made to those affected, many stores, Walmarts and so on….

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    May 8th 2016, 1:02 PM

    We have little to be giving out about.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    May 8th 2016, 1:18 PM

    God help them – horrible to loose everything.

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    Mute Padraig
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    May 8th 2016, 1:23 PM

    Has anyone asked DHR if he think that God is punishing Alberta.

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    Mute KM TON
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    May 8th 2016, 4:08 PM

    Go away Padraig

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 8th 2016, 2:36 PM

    I hope they get rain and soon.

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    Mute Patrick O Shea
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    May 8th 2016, 8:08 PM

    How are the gas fracking fields doing in the middle of this inferno?

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    Mute Philip O'Beachain
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    May 8th 2016, 8:42 PM

    Most are north of the town and looks likely the fire will miss them. However, most of them have shut down production for safety. This means that on top of the 80,000 evacuated many people who travel to the area for work now have a shortage of work until the foreseeable future.

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    Mute Sandra Corbett
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    May 9th 2016, 1:39 PM

    Mines around Fort Mac don’t use fracking method

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    Mute Eoin
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    May 8th 2016, 5:26 PM

    That’s what insurance is for

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    Mute Ronan McDermott
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    May 8th 2016, 9:29 PM

    That takes time you idiot. This is a very serious situation over here.

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    May 9th 2016, 10:58 AM

    A tragedy for all involved – but the seriousness of these and many other wildfires is linked to climate change so we can expect these kinds of events to keep getting even worse all over the world sadly: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/06/opinions/sutter-canada-wildfire-climate/

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