Meath couple begin fight to regain custody of children
A Co Meath couple are due to begin a legal battle today to regain custody of their children from the Health Service Executive.
Gardaí and social workers took the O'Hara's five children into state care on Friday night. Four of the boys are autistic, while the fifth suffers from dyslexia.
Padraig and Mary O'Hara, who have both given up work to look after the kids, had spent the previous week giving media interviews complaining about a lack of state support.
They had accused the HSE of doing little to help them in their struggle to look after their sons.
The HSE said on Friday that the boys were taken into care because it had a duty to ensure their safety and welfare, but disabilities campaigners and Munster MEP Kathy Sinnott said this was disingenuous.
She said the O'Hara's had complained that they were unable to cope and the authorities had reacted in an over-the-top manner.
"Any parent has at some stage said: 'I just can't cope, I can't do it anymore'," she said. "My understanding is that the health board seized the opportunity and decided to take those words literally."
