Vol. 504 No. 5
151 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals, if any, he has to deal with the soaring rate of juvenile crime in Waterford city (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12389/99]
I understand that a total of 528 referrals were made to the juvenile liaison office in Waterford during 1998, which represents a 39 per cent increase on the previous year. It would be unsafe to assume, however, that an increase in the number of referrals is matched by a corresponding increase in the amount of crime committed by juveniles.
Statistics for 1997, the last year for which figures have been published, indicate that the Waterford city area has the highest detection rate for crime in the country, at 61 per cent. This figure represents an 11 per cent increase over the detection rate for 1996, which is, as I am sure the Deputy will agree, a praiseworthy achievement on the part of the local gardaí. It is not surprising against that background that there would be an increase in the number of referrals to the juvenile diversion scheme. This is not to suggest that there are grounds for complacency in regard to the incidence of juvenile crime but we must be aware that statistics for referrals need to be treated with caution as indicators of the changing level of juvenile crime.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following are the principal intervention initiatives operated by the Garda Síochána in the Waterford area: the Garda juvenile diversion programme operates nationally, and provides for the cautioning of juvenile offenders as an alternative to prosecution. To date in excess of 95,000 young people have been cautioned under the programme, and 89 per cent of those cautioned have not been prosecuted before reaching 18 years of age.
I understand from the Garda authorities that there are two juvenile liaison officers attached to the Waterford district Garda area, who also serve on the following inter-agency working groups in their area dealing with an early school-leavers programme and a family support committee. The former comprises a multi-agency group comprising the local school inspector, health board, school principals and others. The committee has employed a co-ordinator and two other staff, and has targeted a number of schools in the city to work with and the latter, run by Barnardos, is working with families in Ballybeg.
My Department is currently funding 24 Garda Síochána special projects nationally. These projects aim at identifying young people at risk of involving themselves in criminal or anti-social behaviour in a defined geographical area. Special projects provide a series of intervention and-or prevention programmes with the objective of having an effect on their lifestyle and assisting them in avoiding future criminal behaviour.
