Vol. 465 No. 4
59 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Justice the number of juvenile offenders currently serving sentences in the State; the proportion of the total prison population that these offenders comprise; the number of such offenders that are drug abusers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9789/96]
On 15 April 1996 there were 60 juvenile offenders — under 17 years of age — in custody. This comprised approximately 3 per cent of the total number in custody on the above date. Records are not maintained in such a manner as to indicate the proportion of juveniles who may or may not be drug abusers and individual prisoner's medical records are, in any event, confidential in the context of the doctor-patient relationship.
