Gardaí in Cork are expected to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after arresting and questioning a man about an assault which left an eight-month-old baby boy in a critical condition in hospital for several weeks.
The foreign national was arrested at a house in Rochestown on Cork's south side for questioning about an assault on the little boy at his home in the Carrigaline area of south Cork last month.
Gardaí were alerted soon after the baby was admitted to Cork University Hospital on August 15th when doctors who examined him expressed concern that head and brain injuries were not consistent with the explanation given to them by his parents.
The HSE South launched its own investigation and also liaised with gardaí as the child spent several weeks in a critical condition at the hospital's intensive care unit.
He started to show signs of improvement about two weeks ago.
The little boy, who is a twin and one of three children in the family, remains at Cork University Hospital where his condition was yesterday described by a HSE South spokeswoman as "comfortable".
It is understood that gardaí were awaiting a number of detailed medical reports before deciding what direction their investigation would take.
Having received these reports earlier this week, they moved yesterday to arrest a man.
The man was arrested at about 9am under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows suspects be detained for up to 24 hours.
He was brought to Togher Garda station for questioning about the assault.
Gardaí had already spoken to the baby's parents and had also examined the family house in an attempt to established just how exactly he sustained the serious head injuries.
