asked the Minister for Justice the measures he has taken to deal with the problem of young offenders aged 12 to 17; and the arrangements he has made to provide for their rehabilitation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Young Offenders.
23.
(Limerick East): Children and young people in the community who are at risk of coming into conflict with the law or who have been convicted for offences are, in so far as my Department are concerned, dealt with as follows: 1. Juvenile Liaison Officer Scheme; 2. Probation Orders; 3. Community Service Order Scheme; 4. Committal to Institutions.
The juvenile liaison officer scheme essentially provides for the cautioning of certain juveniles up to the age of 17 years, as an alternative to prosecution. The function of the juvenile liaison officer is to maintain contact with any juvenile assigned to him. The juvenile may be one who has committed an offence and, having been warned, has been informally committed to the care of the officer. The juvenile liaison officer may also be given the care and guidance of a young person who, though not known to have committed an offence, may be regarded as a potential delinquent by reason of unsatisfactory behaviour, such as persistent truancy, running away from home, staying out late at night, unruly at school or at home, behaving in a disorderly manner, or frequenting undesirable places. Such cases would come to notice through teachers, parents, school attendance officers, or other gardaí.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that a total of 79 members are at present assigned full time to juvenile liaison officer duties. Since 1 January 1983 the number of officers assigned full time to juvenile liaison duties has increased by nine.
The number of young persons dealt with under the scheme in each of the last three years is as follows: 1982, 4,743; 1983, 5,404 and 1984, 6,278 — the last year for which figures are available.
The Probation and Welfare Service of my Department provides supervision and control in respect of probation orders made by the courts. The number of such orders made in respect of young offenders under 17 years was 730 in 1984 — the last year for which statistics are available.
A number of community based hostels and workshops and resource centres have been established throughout the country by my Department in association with local voluntary committees. These centres provide appropriate assistance for offenders on supervision and are mainly used for those in the 15 to 17 years age group to enable them to become stable members of the community.
I appeal for silence, please.
(Limerick East): The hostels in Dublin, Cork and Waterford provide up to 50 places, the workshops in Dublin, Dún Laoghaire and Galway provide 80 places and the resource centres in Dublin and Cork are catering for a further 40 offenders at present.
The Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act, 1983 which came into effect in December 1984 is a further non-custodial sanction available to the courts in dealing with offenders aged 16 years and over. Up to 31 December 1985 a total of 36 community service orders were made in respect of offenders in the 16 to 17 years age group.
In addition, St. Patrick's Institution — provided under the Criminal Justice Act, 1960 — can receive from the courts offenders of 16 years. It is possible for these young offenders to be transferred to places provided under the Prisons Act, 1970 — Shanganagh Castle, the Training Unit or Fort Mitchel — where such a transfer is deemed appropriate to further the rehabilitation of the offender by, for example, maintaining family contacts.
At present there are 26 offenders of 16 years in the places I have mentioned, 16 in St. Patrick's, six in Shanganagh Castle, four in the Training Unit and none in Fort Mitchel.
Is the Minister satisfied that there is an adequate number of places for young offenders at the moment, particularly those who become persistently involved in vandalism and petty crime within the community? Is he satisfied that in the two groups, first between the ages of 12 and 15 and, secondly, between the ages of 15 and 17, there are adequate facilities at present to place such young people?
(Limerick East): I would think it better to provide alternatives to custodial sentences for young people. In so far as places are required for custodial sentences, there are sufficient places within the prison system for young people between the ages of 16 and 17. However, the Minister for Education, under section 58 (1) of the Children's Act, 1908, as amended in the Children's Act of 1941, has responsibility for providing special residential schools for young offenders under the age of 16 years. I do not have that responsibility. At present there are three such special schools, St. Laurence's in Finglas, Trinity House in Lusk, County Dublin, and St. Joseph's, Clonmel, County Tipperary. I understand that these provide sufficient places for the cohort of young people, in trouble with the law, requiring custodial sentences, being under 16 years of age.
Is the Minister satisfied with the operation of the system of fit persons orders?
(Limerick East): Yes, in general I am.
May I appeal for silence, please, from all sides of the House?
Would the Minister review this area carefully? At present in communities, in Dublin, in particular — and I am sure the Minister finds this to be the case in his own area in Limerick — there are frequently young children whose parents are not particularly concerned about looking after them, or who just will not behave for their parents and who are causing a great deal of vandalism and petty crime. Would the Minister review the situation and ensure that there is adequate provision, of whichever kind — either custodial or with fit persons orders where a home is provided — to deal with that problem?
(Limerick East): Obviously, it is a matter of great concern that we should treat young people who are at risk with all the sensitivity that the subject deserves. I am prepared to listen to any proposals that the Deputy can make.