Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE MANAGEMENT OF Oberstown youth detention centre has tonight called on staff to return to the Workplace Relations Commission after Monday’s work stoppage coincided with a fire breaking out at the facility.
Today campus director Pat Bergin brief the board of management at the children detention campus about the fire and violence that broke out at the facility on Monday.
The Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) was called to the scene to quell the trouble, with a staff member also injured in the disturbance. A Garda investigation is also ongoing.
Six units of Dublin Fire Brigade battled a blaze on the roof of Oberstown on Monday night, after a fire broke out around 7.50pm.
The disturbance came about after 150 staff picketed for eight hours outside the centre in protest against what they say are health and safety concerns at the facility.
The youths were locked in their cells during the protest. Some staff members at the centre volunteered to leave the picket when trouble erupted.
A number of residents of the centre took control of a unit earlier in the day after managing to take keys from a staff member.
Solidarity
“We are mindful that there is a criminal investigation being undertaken by An Garda Síochána and this must take priority at this time,” said Professor Ursula Kilkelly, chair of the board of management.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to express my solidarity with the staff of Oberstown for what has been an extremely difficult few days.
I am grateful to everyone for the exceptional service they have continued to provide during this time. I would like to send our good wishes, in particular, to the staff member injured at Monday’s night’s disturbance and wish him a full and speedy recovery.
Prof Kilkelly added that the school on campus has resumed, and that management were determined to ensure international best practice was observed, in the interests of both young people and staff.
“At the same time, we will continue to do everything possible to ensure that the care ethos of the Campus is protected.”
Permanent solution
Professor Kilkelly added that the board is seeking a permanent solution to the industrial relations problem at the campus.
We are disappointed that industrial action continues to be on the table notwithstanding that agreement was previously reached between management and IMPACT … over the last three months.
“We are requesting that management and unions return immediately to discussions at the WRC and that any further strike action be deferred to enable this to take place.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The Oberstown staff member was extremely seriously badly injured by a savage assault by several inmates….yet his injuries were stressed by the media inc. the journal as accidental…is the journal part of the cover up for Pat Bergin and Mr Zappone?
Management appear to be an absolute joke. Complex is ridiculous understaffed. This all falls at the feet of Bergin and Zappone. Staff need support
It was Zappone that made the inmates roam the halls while the strike was on. There was originally an agreement to keep them on lock down for the 8 hours but no, the poor darlings couldn’t do that… you have 8 17 year olds in a wing with 2 staff all out loose what do you think is gonna happen… idiocy from the left wing liberal politicians as always
All staff should go sick, place not fit for purpose. Send army in to pamper the vulnerable youths.
The staff highlighted their concerns long before the new build took place. Then after completing the buildings the flaws in construction and unsuitable design were highlighted. All of this was dismissed and finally the absence of any planning or retraining prior to admitting older lads was a cause of great concern to the staff on the floor. Now the chickens are finally coming home to roost.
Nobody should go back to work in that place. Another major f××ch up by the powers that be and they are in damage limitation mode big time.
Well said
The Oberstown staff are on the cusp of an entirely correct and overdue reorientation of priorities in the arena of delinquency/social care/youth detention/juvenile criminality/special care/employment law/human rights/health and safety and about 79 other pertinent and relevent fields…..hopefully they will continue to maintain the moral high ground and pursue natural justice…their cause is just and necessary.
The staff there need to be fully supported and resourced. They have to endure verbal and physical abuse from these scrotes who are pampered by the bleeding heart do gooders. If they set the fire, let them burn l say.
I’m sure as the poor unfortunate staff member undergoes plastic surgery to try and achieve a better outcome from his head injuries that he will be forever ‘grateful’ for the good wishes from Professor Kilkelly and delighted to hear that school has resumed and the ‘children’ are back to being tucked in, after all it is essential to ensure that the care ethos of the Campus is protected.”, never mind if a staff member is under going surgery, trauma and psychological stress caused by the dear ‘children’, nobody mention the violence, you know how it upsets the little dears, anyone for playstation games, watching tv, pizza anyone….
Honeybee…..your sarcasm has a new admirer…..
I guess Peter when you see frontline staff like this poor man or the garda who was hit in the head with a hammer, well, you have to wonder what in Gods name are those in charge doing to punish the perpetrators and the reality is nothing what so ever with the result these young thugs think they are invincible and are laughing at the academic charades of the justice system, as soon as they are released they will pick up where they left off. unfortunately that is the reality, why they even tried to burn the detention center down. just hope the staff member recovers but it will affect him something awful whenever he returns to work , not the kind of thing you can brush off, poor man.
“an extremely difficult few days”….a few? 2 ? 4 ? What does difficult mean? Getting your head kicked around by 2-4 criminals or the canteen soup being a little salty? Lets be honest here…….
close the place and house the animals in proper prisons
Not the solution. Empower the care staff who live in fear of management. Give them the tools to do their job. And finally update the long out of date Standards and Criteria for Children Detention Schools.
To ensure the care ethos is protected ? Eh the hugs and the molly coddling ain’t working! Give more control to the staff and stop this ridiculous carry on . They are not residents, they’re prisoners and should be treated as such ..
“Professor” Kilkelly. And that folks is the root of the problem in Oberstown. The board of management is made up of Academics and Social Warriors. People with Zero practical experience of dealing with violent criminals.
Staffing levels are only part of the issue. The whole centre has been hijacked. Built as a low security unit for young offenders the minister thought it would be great to add 16 and upwards as well. Staff are continually locked in physical confrontations with these animals but the European commission on human rights feels a 17 year old butcher shouldn’t be locked up with his counterparts in regular chains but be treated as a child.
#Irexit now
In rod we trust. More rod, and in exceptional cases, cowbell! A previous poster had it right, full on strike and bring in the army (in MP mode) for a bit. Contrast and compare outcomes.
Forget the army. Can nobody find a bunch of gay hells angels?
Don’t bottle it and continue with the strike.Imates are not children they are violent criminals and should be in a prison environment . The Government ,min of Justice and health are doing the usual hug a thug crap
Build Thornton Hall, and include a separate high security wing to house these thugs until they’re old enough to move next door.
The staff assaulted my these feral skangers were not listened to from the outset. The Dunning Kruger effect is much in evidence here. Management’s hubris and ignoring of staff has severe ramifications for the lower echelons of the institutions they ‘manage’. This is particularly blatant in the public service, from hospitals to museums to justice etc.
The proverbial ‘$hit floats’.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
..meant ‘by’ not ‘my’.
Oberstown has become a crime university as there is no discipline, no penalties, and the young criminals have contempt for the management and staff.
If the woolly thinking by the minister and management was indeed to insist violent offenders doors be opened during strike action then the ensuing result is chickens home to roost or roast in this case!
Something similar happened at Wentworth.
The staff on the last day of industrial action sent extra staff down to help when needed. Again it showed staff helping in the face of immediate dangers. On that day of industrial action Oberstown had more staff on campus than any other day. This is not about staffing matters but about management. It is time for new management to be employed. If the BOM can’t see that, they are refusing to recognise the real challenge.
..meant ‘by’ not ‘my’.
have your say