Kildare man whose mum 'died suspiciously' shouldn't be in care
The judge criticised the placing of people in care
The placing of people in care settings - rather than with families - has been criticised by Kildare-based judge Desmond Zaidan.
The judge was hearing a case involving a man, aged in his 30s, who was prosecuted for damaging two laptops and a chair in a care setting on July 14 2025.
The man was described as a vulnerable adult who has been in state care since he was 18.
Solicitor Brian Larkin said the man suffers from an ailment which affects his brain function.
He also told the court that the man’s mother died in suspicious circumstances when the defendant was young and although a file on this case was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions "it didn‘t go anywhere.”
Mr Larkin said the man should be in a support unit and not a prison.
He said the man’s medical condition affects his thought processes and how he deals with anger.
He said the man has to go on the Kildare County Council housing list.
Garda Conor Branigan told the court that he found the man was not difficult to deal with and said the man was concerned about the activation of a custody term relating to a different case.
Judge Desmond Zaidan said that many people who have been in care behave in this manner and "there has to be something behind that.”
He said people in this situation are taken away from their parents by the state and instead of replacing them with families get to go to private entities which are paid by the state.
He said there is adequate control in these settings and “ a 12 year old could decide to walk out the following day (but) if they were with parents an attempt would be made to find out why they left and where they want.”
The judge said many of these people wind up in trouble.
“It’s really curious and it's not coincidental that these young people get into trouble."
He also said that these young people when angry direct this at the residential home and not the public.
He said they should be given help to cope with the transition from parental care to state care.
“This a huge change to young life, they get frustrated and they do what they do.”
He said every child is unique.
“We are all equal on paper - but we’re not.”
He applied the Probation Act.