The High Court has approved a €10.5m settlement for a 12-year-old boy who suffered a severe brain injury at birth.

Sam Forde's parents - Deborah and Des of Glenview Park, Grange, Co Sligo - sued the Health Service Executive (HSE) on his behalf.

Sam was in court today to hear that his case against the HSE was settled.

He is now confined to a wheelchair and can never live independently.

A check-up the week after his due date in August 2006 revealed all was well.

His mother Deborah attended hospital two days later, because she thought she was in labour. She was not.

She went back in on August 19th and was sent home again.

Her midwife called her the following day and told her to return immediately when she told her she felt less movement.

Sam was delivered by C-section and suffered a catastrophic brain injury that will require for him to be cared for for the rest of his life.

Speaking outside court afterwards, the family's solicitor David O'Malley said all of this was avoidable.

"What happened to Sam should never have happened - unfortunately he is to now live his life through the decisions made by others before he was even born.

"Hopefully that financial settlement can bring him that stability".

The family sued the HSE on a number of grounds - including failure to exercise reasonable skill and care, failure to monitor Sam's condition and failure to admit his mother to hospital on time.

In the end the case was settled with no admission of liability.

Reporting by Frank Greaney