Pubdate: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 Source: Irish Times, The (Ireland) Copyright: 2000 The Irish Times Contact: 11-15 D'Olier St, Dublin 2, Ireland Fax: + 353 1 671 9407 Website: http://www.ireland.com/ Author: Alison Healy and Eithne Donnellan GIRL WHO DIED HAD BEEN IN RESIDENTIAL CARE A 15-year-old girl who died of a suspected drugs overdose in a Dublin guesthouse yesterday had been missing from health board residential care since the end of last month, it emerged last night. The girl had been in the care of the South Western Area Health Board, part of the former Eastern Health Board region. A spokeswoman for the health board said that when care staff went to collect her from a workplace where she was on work experience on July 28th she could not be found. The spokeswoman said the board reported her missing at five Garda stations that evening including Gardai at Shankill, Harcourt Street and Pearse Street She said the board had contacted eight Garda stations every day after that but the teenager could not be traced. However, a Garda press office spokesman last night said they had no record of the girl being reported missing. The girl's body was found in an upstairs room in the Pillar B & B on Talbot Street in central Dublin at 7 a.m. yesterday. An emergency call alerted Dublin Fire Brigade, which as joined by gardai from Store Street station at 7.15 a.m. The girl was taken to the Mater Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. A post-mortem was carried out yesterday afternoon, but the result was not expected to be released last night. Gardai said the girl's name would not be released at the request of her family. It is understood she was from the south side of the city and had recently arrived at the guesthouse. A source familiar with the girl's background said she was not a drug addict. A man in his 20s who was with her when she died is believed to have been staying at the guesthouse for some time. He was questioned by gardai yesterday morning and later released. The B & B carried a sign on the door saying that no rooms were available yesterday. A man speaking on behalf of the guesthouse said he had no comment on the girl's death. The death has led to calls for the immediate setting up of specialist treatment services for young people who experiment with drugs. Mr Tony Geoghegan of the Merchants Quay Project, the largest voluntary drugs support project in Dublin, said most of the drug treatment services were geared to the needs of more established drug-users, rather than the very young who might be in the early stages of experimenting with drugs and therefore more vulnerable to overdosing. A spokeswoman for the health boards in the eastern region said over 1,000 new treatment places had been established this year for those who abused drugs. "The health board, particularly the staff who cared for her, are deeply saddened by her death and we wish to extend our deepest sympathy to her family and friends," the spokeswoman said. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager