The father of a special needs child has gone to the High Court to try and stop the Health Service Executive (HSE) from placing his son in foster care next week.

He claims the HSE is not acting in the best interests of the 5-year-old boy who has been living with his paternal grandmother in Dublin for the last 2 years.

The court heard the parents of the child separated after the father allegedly carried out a serious assault on his wife that left her nearly comatose.

Since then the 5-year-old has lived mostly with his paternal grandmother but the HSE has concerns she may leave as she is not from Ireland and her husband does not live here.

The father of the boy is now challenging the HSE decision to foster his son by an accelerated process that will see the child living with new parents by the end of next week.

He claims the boy is emotionally attached to his grandmother and that the transfer is being rushed through against the advice of the Principal Clinical Psychologist of the HSE while she is on holiday.

Mr. Justice George Bermingham is allowing the challenge to proceed but he has refused to stall the transfer which he believes has been approached by the HSE with the greatest sensitivity.