Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Dec 1979

Vol. 317 No. 9

Written Answers. - Loughan House.

328.

Mrs. E. Desmond

asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the rules and regulations governing the behaviour of boys in Loughan House and the procedures in operation for the transfer of boys from open special schools to Loughan House and vice versa.

Minister for Justice (Mr. G. Collins)

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 355 on 25 October 1979, in relation to rules for Loughan House. I expect that work on the formal rules will be completed shortly. The regime followed in practice is similar to that in the other special schools but the higher staff numbers in Loughan have made possible some procedures which are thought to be desirable such as the star system whereby the boys can be motivated towards good behaviour.

The procedures regarding transfer of boys between special schools is laid down in section 69 of the Children Act, 1908, which provides that the Minister for Education may direct the transfer of a boy from one school to another. In practice transfers are arranged after consultation between the directors of the schools and the two Departments.

329.

Mrs. E. Desmond

asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the background of the boys detained in Loughan House under the following terms: part of city, county or town where they were reared, their educational attainments and their occupation prior to committal to Loughan House.

Minister for Justice (Mr. G. Collins)

The information sought by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Boys (in order of date of committal)	Part of County, City or Town where boy was living before committal *1	Actual Age	Formal Reading Age *	Occupation prior to committal
A	Dublin 1	14 6/12 yrs	12 2/12 yrs	None
B	Dublin 1	15 8/12 yrs	10 6/12 yrs	None
C	Dublin 11	14 3/12 yrs	7 6/12 yrs	None
D	Dublin 1	14 3/12 yrs	5 9/12 yrs	None
E	Cork City	12 3/12 yrs	6 9/12 yrs	None
F	Dublin 3	14 9/12 yrs	12 5/12 yrs	None
G	Tramore, Co. Waterford	13 11/12 yrs	15 yrs	None
H	Dublin 12	15 8/12 yrs	15 yrs	None
I	Salthill, Co. Galway	12 11/12 yrs	8 7/12 yrs	None
J	Ballybrack, Co. Dublin	15 7/12 yrs	15 yrs	None
K	Dunlaoghaire	14 2/12 yrs	13 yrs	None
L	Dublin 7	15 9/12 yrs	14 3/12 yrs	None
M	Dublin 1	15 10/12 yrs	8 6/12 yrs	None
N	Dublin 5	14 4/12 yrs	8 yrs	None
O	Dunlaoghaire	12 5/12 yrs	7 5/12 yrs	None
P	Dublin 8	12 yrs	9 4/12 yrs	None
Q	Dublin 14	14 9/12 yrs	10 yrs	None
R	Dunlaoghaire	15 8/12 yrs	not yet available	None
			(committed to
			Loughan House
			10/12/79)

Of the 18 boys at present detained in Loughan House 8 were living away from the parental home at the time of committal.

Note *1 Information is not available in all cases about the places in which the boys were reared.

*2 The only measure available of Educational Attainment is formal reading age.