Trinity House school is one of the five children detention schools under the aegis of my Department. It provides secure accommodation for the most seriously disturbed young male offenders in the country, catering for boys up to the age of 16 years on admission who have been committed through the courts for periods of two to four years. It is also registered by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as a place of detention.
The school's current operational capacity is 27 places, of which three are in the step-down unit and the remaining 24 provide for the committal and remand placements. On the night of 12 June 2003, of the 24 remand and committal beds, 16 beds were physically occupied, a further four beds were assigned to young people who were not present, leaving four beds available for placements. During the period January to May 2003 the occupancy level has been 71%. Two committals are planned for Trinity House school over the coming weeks.
Question No. 300 answered with Question No. 247.