A mother found not guilty of the murder of her young child by reason of insanity cannot be committed to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) because there is no place for her, a court has heard.

A barrister for the Health Service Executive told the Central Criminal Court that every effort is being made to secure a bed for the woman and it is hoped that the matter will be resolved by tomorrow morning.

The verdict in the woman's case, who cannot be named by order of the court, was returned yesterday.

Prosecution counsel Paul Murray SC told Mr Justice Michael White today that trial judge, Ms Justice Carmel Stewart, made an order yesterday directing that the woman be committed for treatment to the CMH.

However, Mr Murray said that no bed was made available for her so the order could not be complied with.

The court had to be reconvened with the judge yesterday evening, where she vacated the committal order and released the defendant on bail, Mr Murray said.

He added that Dr Ronan Mullaney, the woman's treating consultant psychiatrist, gave evidence yesterday evening that his patient's application was not of the most immediate urgency. As a result, Ms Justice Stewart vacated the woman's committal order and released her on bail, Mr Murray said.

At the moment, there is no bed available for the woman at the CMH, he added.

Peter Finlay SC, for the HSE, told the court that every effort is being made to secure a bed for the woman but the CMH has reached full capacity in its quota of female patients.

"The CMH had made arrangements in anticipation of the verdict to transfer another woman to a third party facility but it became clear that this facility was not appropriate for her," he explained. Mr Finlay said he hoped the issue would be resolved by tomorrow morning.

Mr Justice White remanded the woman on continuing bail until tomorrow morning and said he hoped the matter would be resolved by then.