Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Mar 1998

Vol. 488 No. 6

Written Answers. - Juvenile Diversion Programme.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

134 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of children under 18 years who accept responsibility for criminal acts who have been placed on Garda diversion programmes in lieu of prosecution before the courts for each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6755/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The Garda authorities are responsible for the detailed deployment of Garda personnel to individual areas.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following number of young people were included in the juvenile diversion programme for the years 1991-6.

Year	No. of young people admitted to Programme
1991	4,508
1992	6,422
1993	6,764
1994	8,768
1995	7,541
1996	10,539

It is a requirement of the scheme that the juvenile admits the offence and that the parents or guardians agree to co-operate with the Garda in the implementation of the diversion programme.

The concern of the Garda juvenile liaison officer is to look behind the offence and attempt to see why the juvenile in question has offended. The juvenile liaison officer, according to the Garda authorities, will look at the offender as an individual, as a member of a family and a member of the community. This will naturally involve the JLO calling and meeting the offender and his-her parents at their home and if the JLO identifies a problem which he-she cannot solve the individual and-or family will be referred to the appropriate statutory or voluntary organisation with expertise in the matter.