Oberstown staff member ‘punched in face in unprovoked attack' by young person, union says
Oberstown Children Detention Campus
was hospitalised at the weekend following an assault by a young person, according to the
Forsa
trade union.
The alleged incident on Sunday afternoon occurred in the exercise yard of one of the campus's units.
The staff member was 'punched in the face several times in an unprovoked attack' and 'had to be taken to hospital where he was X-rayed for a suspected facial fracture', said a union source.
The staff source said there were insufficient staffing levels in the yard at the time of Sunday's incident.
READ MORE
'This young person has been involved in previous violent incidents on the campus ... They come from a very troubled, traumatic background and to be honest should have had far more intensive interventions far earlier in their life.
'They are probably in the wrong placement now.'
The alleged assault comes less than a month after
nine staff were injured in an incident involving a young person
. That incident, during which improvised weapons were used, resulted in four staff being brought to hospital and a number being signed off work for up to a month, said Forsa.
The union source, who works at Oberstown, queried assertions by Minister for Children
Norma Foley
, whose department oversees the campus, in a written answer to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon last week, where she said the facility was 'not experiencing 'dangerously low staffing levels''.
A staff survey conducted by Forsa in the last three months, seen by The Irish Times, found 69 per cent of staff members felt morale was 'low' or 'very low', while 54 per cent said morale had worsened in the previous 12 months.
The survey, completed by 120 out of about 175 staff, found 80 per cent felt their workload had increased in the previous 12 months, with 74 per cent saying stress levels had worsened.
A separate workplace culture report, commissioned by the Oberstown board of management and published on Friday, found just half of staff felt 'valued as an employee', while 'decision making in the interests of the young people could be improved'.
The report, by accountancy firm Forvis Mazars, said 'substantial progress is still required' if the campus is to achieve its 'agreed target culture'.
Oberstown's principal objective is 'to provide appropriate care, education, training and other programmes to young people between 12 and 18 years with a view to reintegrating them successfully back into their communities and society', the report noted.
However, the centre's 'mission statement lacks clarity regarding the organisation's mandate in returning young people successfully to society' it said.
'While 76 per cent of survey respondents agreed Oberstown is a campus they enjoy working in, just half of staff agreed that they felt valued as an employee,' said the report.
'Cross-campus decision making in the interests of the young people could be improved as observed through focus group discussions.
'In the survey, just 47 per cent of respondents agreed that collaboration was actively encouraged.'
On the issue of people development, the report found: 'There is no performance management system in Oberstown, as observed through focus group discussion, documentation review, and the survey where 71 per cent of staff agreed they had never been involved in a performance management process.'
Authors found staff felt induction and onboarding systems could be strengthened 'to fully prepare them for their roles'.
Just half of respondents agreed they were provided with the necessary information when they joined Oberstown.
'Only 25 per cent of survey respondents believed good performance is recognised at Oberstown and focus group discussions indicated there would be appreciation among staff for more acknowledgment of a 'job well done'.'
A Department of Children spokesman said: 'The Department offers its full support to any member of staff who has been injured during the course of their work. As with all circumstances of this nature, these matters will be the subject of internal review. The Department does not comment on operational matters relating to Oberstown Children Detention Campus.'
A spokesman for Oberstown said he could not comment on an individual incident, but that the campus 'offers its full support to any member of staff who has been injured during the course of their work'.
He said management acknowledged the findings of the culture review, took the findings 'seriously' and were 'committed to acting on them'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man (41) appears in court charged with murder of Joseph McEvoy in Clondalkin
A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 34-year-old father of two Joseph McEvoy in west Dublin on Monday morning. Mr McEvoy was found unresponsive outside a house on the Shancastle estate and was taken to hospital, where he died from apparent stab injuries after efforts to save him were not successful. Christopher Kelly (41) of Shancastle Park, Clondalkin, appeared before Dublin District Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with murder. He was remanded in custody by Judge David McHugh. He is accused of killing Mr McEvoy of Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin, at Shancastle Close, where the victim was found just before 6am by gardaí and paramedics responding to emergency calls. Det Sgt Sean Cosgrave told Tuesday's court sitting he arrested Mr Kelly at Ronanstown Garda station just after 3pm for the purposes of charging him. When he was charged with murder about an hour later he made no reply, the court was told. The accused was granted free legal aid after Sam Friel BL, for Mr Kelly, told the court his client was not in receipt of social welfare at present and was facing a very serious charge. No application for bail was made as such an application can only be made to the High Court in a case involving a murder charge. Mr Kelly did not address the court during the hearing and was not required to enter a plea. He was remanded in custody and will appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday. The investigation into Mr McEvoy's murder is being carried out under a senior investigating officer at Lucan Garda station. A Garda family liaison officer has also been appointed to support the victim's family. The coroner has been informed of Mr McEvoy's death and a postmortem on the dead man's remains was conducted by the Office of the State Pathologist, with the results forming part of the Garda investigation. The scene where Mr McEvoy was discovered unresponsive was sealed off and underwent an examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau on Monday. Gardaí have also appealed for any witnesses, or anyone with information, to come forward and aid the murder investigation. Mr McEvoy was still alive when gardaí and paramedics arrived at the scene and was initially treated in situ. However, he was pronounced dead after being taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. Mr McEvoy was club captain at Clondalkin-based Quarryvale FC, with the club paying tribute to him and saying its members were 'devastated' by his death. 'The nicest man you'd ever meet and an absolute warrior on the pitch,' the club said. 'Big Joe Mac was the life of every party and nothing will feel the same with him gone. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this horrible time.'
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Receptionist called a 'lazy b***h' by co-worker says apology wasn't ‘genuine'
A medical clinic receptionist claims she was forced to quit because her employer failed to address a 'toxic' work atmosphere after she said a colleague repeatedly called her a 'lazy b***h' to her face. The worker, Gwen Doyle, has complained that the apology she got from her colleague after a workplace investigation was 'not genuine' and that the other worker was simply 'told what to say'. In a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, Ms Doyle has alleged she was constructively dismissed in October 2024 from the Athboy Family Practice in Co Meath, where she had worked for 19 years. Her trade union, Siptu, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at a hearing on Tuesday that the clinic's management denied her natural justice in investigating her formal grievance about the incident and failed to address a 'toxic' workplace environment READ MORE That left her with 'no other option' except to consider herself constructively dismissed, it was submitted on her behalf. The employer is contesting the case – its solicitor, Terry Gorry, stating that it made 'strenuous efforts' to resolve the formal grievance. Giving evidence to the WRC on Tuesday, Ms Doyle said that on a date in April 2024, she was on a call dealing with a repair of a computer when her colleague turned to her and said: 'Answer the phone, you lazy b***h.' Ms Doyle said her reply was: 'Sorry, what did you say?' Her colleague then said: 'Answer the phone, you lazy b***h, you do nothing in here,' the complainant said. She said she went and reported the remark to the practice manager, Kirsty Sanderson, who sent her to the canteen. 'I couldn't speak. I was in bits over the whole thing,' Ms Doyle said. She said she agreed when Ms Sanderson proposed getting the other receptionist to apologise. The other receptionist then came to the canteen and Ms Sanderson told her: 'You'll have to apologise,' Ms Doyle said. 'I've no intention of apologising. You are a lazy b***h,' was the other worker's reply, the complainant said. Ms Sanderson then made reference to 'numerous complaints' about Ms Doyle, the complainant added. The practice manager then said: 'You have no interest in your job. You're bringing your family life into it,' the complainant added. 'I was put in a back room and told to stay there. [The other receptionist] was told to go to reception,' Ms Doyle said. Ms Doyle said she remained in the room until lunchtime, when Ms Sanderson went to her and asked whether she was going to for her lunch. On her return, Ms Doyle said she told Ms Sanderson: 'I need a list of the complaints against me.' 'She said: 'You're not getting them.' I said: 'I want a written apology,'' Ms Doyle added. She said she then returned to her normal place of work at the clinic's reception and worked until 5pm, but that it was a 'toxic environment'. The tribunal heard Ms Doyle took sick leave and remained on sick leave thereafter, except for one day when she was persuaded by a colleague to return because the clinic was 'stuck'. 'It was absolutely horrendous,' she said. Ms Doyle said both Ms Sanderson and the other receptionist apologised to her following a formal grievance process that was completed in July 2024. She said the other receptionist told her: 'Sorry for what I said.' 'That was it, and she just walked out,' Ms Doyle said. 'Kirsty said: 'I'm sorry for what I said, but I refute some of the things you said in your report,'' she added. 'They were not genuine. Both apologies were not genuine. They were told what to say,' the complainant said. 'I could not go back into the work environment. It was too toxic. It wouldn't have been good for my health, mentally or physically,' she said. Ms Doyle's trade union advocate, Peter Glynn said the grievance investigation was 'shallow and lacked substance'. He added that when Ms Doyle took issue with the grievance outcome, she received correspondence stating that the incident had been 'dealt with' and the matter was 'closed'. This remained the position after Ms Glynn got her trade union got involved, Mr Glynn submitted, though the employer did state that it was 'willing to look at rosters to identify the best working environment', he added. Ms Doyle's position was that no matter what hours she was given, she would still be required to work with Ms Sanderson. The tribunal heard the employer objected when the union referred the case to the WRC for consideration under the Industrial Relations Act 1969 in September last year. 'Mediation was sought and offered. The employer failed to engage,' Mr Glynn said. At this stage, Ms Doyle was left 'no other option' except to conclude she had been constructively dismissed, he added. Adjudication officer Michael McEntee has adjourned the matter to later in the summer, when Mr Gorry is expected to continue with his cross-examination of the complainant. Ms Sanderson is expected to give evidence at a later stage in the case, as are Dr Anthony Ryan and another member of the clinic's staff, Catherine Dolan.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man remanded in custody after pleading guilty to assaulting pregnant partner
A carpet fitter who beat his pregnant partner continuously after accusing her of cheating has been remanded in custody pending his sentencing next October. John Hoey (24), of St Catherine's Park, Rush, Co Dublin , pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage on March 31st, 2024 and assault causing the woman harm on April 3rd, 2024. The court heard Hoey pushed his partner's head under the water while she was having a bath, threatened her with a Stanley knife and grabbed her by the throat causing her to pass out. Garda Niamh Owens told Caroline Cummings, prosecuting, that when gardaí arrived at the scene they found the woman with a black eye and a cut to her head. She said she and Hoey had been in a relationship for 18 months. READ MORE She said they had been living together and things had deteriorated between them over the previous month. She told gardaí he had been accessing her Snapchat social media account and had accused her of cheating. A few days previously he had smashed their patio door and had struck her in the face leaving her with a black eye. Garda Owens said the woman's account to gardaí was that there were periods where Hoey beat her then calmed down and then attacked her again. Towards the end of the attack, Hoey threatened to kill the woman if he saw one more message on Snapchat he did not like. They had recently found out she was pregnant. She panicked and tried to run for the front door, but Hoey grabbed her by the throat, lifted her up and threw her across the hall, the court heard. When she got up from this fall, she managed to escape from the house. Hoey chased her through the estate. He pushed her into the side of a skip but she managed to run away again. She screamed for help and two people passing by gave her their phone so she could contact gardaí. Garda Owens said the woman told gardaí when she initially called them that she still loved Hoey, she was concerned for his mental health and she did not want him to get into any trouble. Hoey made admissions during a follow-up interview with gardaí. He has no previous convictions. He and the woman and Hoey are still in a relationship, and their baby was born late last year. The woman did not complete a victim-impact statement. Eoghan Weldon, defending, said his client is currently working as a carpet fitter. He said Hoey was 'subject to a serious amount of violence growing up' and is aware he has anger-management issues. Mr Weldon said he was not trying to minimise his client's actions, and Hoey was 'very stupid and very foolish' on the night. He acknowledged Hoey was fortunate the woman did not suffer more serious injuries. Counsel said Hoey has attended counselling and anger management since the assault. Mr Weldon said his client is committed to being there for his family. He asked the court to consider ordering a report from the Probation Service before imposing sentence. In such a scenario, Ms Cummings, prosecuting, said the State wanted the judge to revoke Hoey's bail and remand him in custody. Judge Orla Crowe said the case was 'very concerning' and she intended to remand him custody. She adjourned sentencing to October. She said Hoey should engage with the Probation Service and undergo any courses that would focus on domestic violence.
