President prevented from visiting hostel

President McAleese was denied permission to visit a hostel for child asylum seekers because the East Coast Area Health Board had not sanctioned the visit.

Following representations, the board capitulated and the private visit to the hostel in south Co Dublin is now scheduled to go ahead within the next two weeks.

The visit had been arranged between the hostel, which caters for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, and Áras an Uachtaráin.

The independently-run ...