Vol. 473 No. 6
33 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider the waste of Garda time and State resources by concentrating young offenders from the whole country in the young offenders institutions at Lusk, County Dublin; and the plans, if any, she has to construct such centres in the other regions as that research has shown that large centralised institutions work against rehabilitation of offenders. [2159/97]
The Deputy will be aware that responsibility for the young offenders institutions referred to in his question is a matter for the Minister for Education to whose attention I have drawn the Deputy's question.
The Deputy is no doubt concerned at the fact that Garda resources are drawn from the locality to service the institutions at Lusk. I understand from the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed deployment of Garda personnel and resources, that this service is provided as required by the gardaí from Lusk and other stations within the Balbriggan district. They have also informed me that this type of escort duty is part of the normal demands placed on the Garda Síochána and that, at present, it would not be appropriate to separate this responsibility from other policing duties within the district.
