Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Apr 1997

Vol. 478 No. 5

Written Answers. - Juvenile Prisoners.

John O'Donoghue

Question:

125 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice the number of young people who were detained in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin 7, in each of the past three years; the plans, if any, she has to provide accommodation for children under sixteen years of age who are sentenced to a term of imprisonment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11662/97]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available.To obtain it would require the manual examination of up to 20,000 files and the collation of the information. Such use of staff time could not be justified at present.

In 1993, the latest year for which detailed statistics are available, 14 people between the ages of 15 and 17 years were committed under sentence to adult prisons.

At any one time, there are very few persons aged under 16 years of age in custody. On 15 February 1997, there were two — one in Mountjoy Prison and one in Cork Prison.

Persons aged 15 years may be committed to prison by the courts under the terms of sections 95 and 102 of the Children Act, 1908, on what is commonly termed ‘an unruly certificate'. Given the very small numbers involved, I have no plans to provide separate accommodation for such persons.However, every person aged 15 years in custody is kept under special observation.