A newborn baby – just one day old – was taken into the State’s care because of concerns about parental neglect.

The baby has several siblings who are also all living in State care due to ‘severe neglect’ by their parents, a court heard this week.

An Emergency Care Order was granted to Tusla, the child and family agency, at Derrynea District Court on Tuesday.

Judge Mary Fahy said she had no option but to grant the order after hearing evidence from the baby’s care team leader about welfare concerns.

The ex-parte order was made in the absence of the parents of the child who was born in a public hospital on Monday.

The newborn’s care team leader explained that the parents ‘can’t meet the basic care needs’ of their children, who were living in care in Galway and Offaly.

The team leader confirmed to solicitor for Tusla Pádhraic Harris that she had “concerns over the welfare of the child” should it be left with the parents.

The court heard that one of the newborn’s siblings had 20 teeth extracted ‘due to care issues’, and the children’s ‘basic care needs are not being met’ by the mother and father.

The full court case is carried in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.