My colleague, Deputy Currie, Minister of State at my Department recently announced details of new management structures for a number of young offender centres operating under the Department of Education.
A key element of the new arrangement is the creation of a single board of management to govern the operations of the three young offender facilities located at Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin. The three centres in question, Trinity House School; Oberstown Boys' Centre; and Oberstown Girl's Centre, had previously been governed by three separate boards of management.
The composition of the new single board has been designed to accommodate continued participation by the various interests, including Lusk Community Council, which had been represented on the original three boards. The level of such representation has also been designed to maintain the necessary balance of interests which has existed on the boards heretofore. Such balance could not be maintained under the proposal put forward by the Deputy.
The issue of allowing a substitution arrangement for the Lusk Community Council representative on the board has not previously been put to my Department. However, in recognition of the valid interests of the council in relation to the centres in question, this matter will now be considered and the council will be advised of the outcome.
