Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 5

Written Answers. - Probation and Welfare Service.

John Deasy

Question:

205 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when his Department entered leasing arrangements with the owners of the Donaghmede Shopping Centre with regard to the proposed probation office; the amount of rent being paid on the lease; the square footage involved; the category of offender that will be using the probation office; the security arrangements which have been put in place; the consultations which took place with local traders, the general public and residents associations in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23013/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

The Probation and Welfare Service, nation-wide, has been implementing a policy of localisation of its offices in recent years. Local service delivery enhances co-operation from those people working with the Probation and Welfare Service who are residing in the locality. In Dublin, the Probation and Welfare Service has been successful in establishing offices in Dún Laoghaire, Ballyfermot, Tallaght, Finglas, Crumlin and Clondalkin. These offices are sited in local communities, alongside businesses, over shops and within industrial units. No complaint has been received by the Probation and Welfare Service to date from any member of the public about the behaviour of those attending a local office, nor has any complaint been brought to the attention of any officer of the service about the behaviour of those attending a local office.

The premises at Donaghmede Shopping Centre were identified by the Probation and Welfare Service and the Office of Public Works as being suitable for a Probation and Welfare Service local office. This facility is necessary to serve the needs of the Donaghmede and surrounding areas as well as for the delivery of new obligations on the Probation and Welfare Service for family conferencing under the recently enacted Children Act, 2001. A lease with the owners of the Donaghmede Shopping Centre for the proposed Probation and Welfare Service office was arranged with effect from 1 June 2001. The amount of rent payable on this lease is €152,368 per annum and the office is 7,200 sq. ft in size. Following this lease agreement, planning permission was sought and obtained earlier this year to adapt the premises to service the needs of the Probation and Welfare Service.

The Probation and Welfare Service will, for the most part, deal with people attending the office only on an appointment basis to meet their obligations to the courts or if they are in crisis due to homelessness or other personal or family difficulty. Clients include those on whom the court has ordered reports – prior to considering the type of sanction it will impose – those who are on statutory orders – either a probation order or a community service order – from the court and persons on supervised temporary release from prison. In addition, parents whose children's behaviour is causing them concern often seek advice from service personnel. Others who visit service local offices include lawyers, gardaí, other statutory and voluntary agencies and representatives of local communities. There is no reason to believe the Donaghmede office will be any different from the other local offices in this regard. The security arrangements that will be put in place for this office will include a CCTV system, vigilance by staff and close collaboration with the shopping centre's security service and the local Garda station.

Consultations with the local traders have taken place through the manager of the shopping centre by the senior probation and welfare officer and her team. On 20 May 2002 a meeting was held with local traders in Donaghmede to discuss the plans, which was attended by the then head of the Probation and Welfare Service. Consultation with the general public and residents associations in the community began in July 2002. Senior probation and welfare service management, including the head of the service, met the residents in Donaghmede Church on 15 October 2002, to hear the views of the residents and to discuss the role and functions of the Probation and Welfare Service. In addition, I also met representatives of the residents associations for the areas adjacent to Donaghmede Shopping Centre. I acknowledged the views outlined at this meeting on the need for as much consultation as possible with local residents about the plans for such offices, particularly on local concerns about their possible impact on the areas where they are sited. In this regard, it is recognised that the siting of any facility which engages offenders and ex-prisoners with a view to reducing crime is always likely to raise some concerns locally. The meeting agreed that the regional manager of the probation and welfare service for the area would inform the residents associations of the proposed date of opening of the office and would liaise with them in relation to the formation of a monitoring group for the office which will comprise representatives of the residents, traders of the shopping centre and this Department. It will be open to the monitoring group to seek a review by me of the decision to open the office after a period of 12 months in operation. I also met this week representatives of Harcourt Management Properties, the owners of Donaghmede Shopping Centre, to discuss the plans for the Probation and Welfare Service office.

I stand ready to take appropriate action if, in the collective opinion of the monitoring group, any change in the arrangements is needed. I stress that the effect of the opening of the office at Donaghmede is no more significant than the establishment of, say, an office for a solicitor with a criminal legal aid practice and I would ask the Deputy to bear that in mind.