Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Mar 2009

Vol. 194 No. 9

Youth Services.

Senator Pearse Doherty

Baineann an cheist atá agam le cúrsaí cóiriúla atá ag dul ar aghaidh i gceantar Ghaoth Dobhair. Phlé mé seo cúpla seachtain ó shin sa Seanad nuair a bhí cuid mhór eachtraí ag titim amach sa cheantar ach is ceist eile í seo a bhaineann le tacaíocht a thabhairt d'ógánaigh an cheantair agus do na gardaí go mbeidh comhoibriú ann leis na hógánaigh ar dhóigh níos fearr.

Tá fóram bunaithe i nGaoth Dobhair, Fóram Ghaoth Dobhair, agus is páirtnéireacht é idir polaiteoirí, daoine atá gníomhach i gcúrsaí óige agus sa phobal, na cumainn trádála agus tráchtála agus na gardaí atá ag comhoibriú le chéile chun déileáil le cuid de na fadhbanna atá ann sa cheantar. Ceann de na rudaí a d'aithin an fóram sin i 2006 ná go raibh gá le Garda youth diversion project. Cuireadh iarratas isteach ag an phointe sin agus an cheist atá agam ná cad é stádas an iarratais sin faoi láthair.

The matter concerns the support that is required for youth in the Gweedore region. It deals with youths in a certain age group, namely, between 12 and 17 years. A number of years ago, a forum was established which saw co-operation between community leaders, politicians, the business community, those involved in working with youth on the frontline, the youths themselves and gardaí.

One of the points identified in that forum is the need for a Garda youth diversion project to be established in the Gweedore region. An application went subsequently to the Department and the Minister for what is called the "Gweedore justice project". This stems from the basic lack of facilities in the Gweedore region other than those for people involved in sport. I commend all those who voluntarily gave up their time to provide facilities, events and ideas, and forums for young people to attend. However, despite their best efforts there is still a lack of facilities.

Unfortunately, some of our young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have fallen into petty crime and have been involved in nuisances and disturbances and in other offences such as criminal damage, burglary, assault and unauthorised taking of mechanically propelled vehicles. These are just some of the issues the Garda identified over the period 2004 to 2006. In the figures I have for that period, there were 15 referrals in 2004, comprising six formal cautions, eight informal cautions and one file for direction. In 2005 that figure increased to 24 referrals, namely, 19 informal cautions and five formal cautions. In 2006 we saw an escalation in the seriousness of the incidents, which included five prosecutions. That is alarming for any community and, unfortunately, this community has seen different challenges in recent weeks.

The application for the Garda youth diversion project comes from an agreement or consultation between community leaders and politicians. I sit on the forum, as does the Garda, which identified this project as being beneficial to the community. I do not wish to give the impression there is a significant crime problem in the community. That is not what this project is about. It is about supporting young people so that when they fall under the radar of the Garda the force can divert them to the project instead of dealing with formal cautions and subsequent prosecutions. It is a way of keeping people away from crime and it is proactive and preventive.

I ask the Minister of State to take this on board. Over two years after the application went in, where does it stand?

Deputy Barry Andrews

The Minster for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has delegated to me, as Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with responsibility for children and youth affairs, the powers conferred on him under the Children Act 2001, as amended. The matter raised therefore falls under my responsibility.

The National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010 sets out plans for co-ordinated programmes and services in the area of youth justice which will be delivered through a number of agencies, including the Irish youth justice service of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; the Department of Education and Science; the Department of Health and Children; the HSE; the Garda Síochána; the Courts Service; the probation and welfare service; the Children Act advisory board and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs. The net effect of the strategy is to ensure a more co-ordinated strategic approach to service delivery, make better use of existing resources and deliver better outcomes for children in trouble with the law and the community in general.

The strategy is being progressed at national level by the national youth justice oversight group, which was established to facilitate the cross-agency collaboration required. The oversight group, which comprises members from each of the key agencies, is scheduled to report to the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion in mid-2009. One of the strategy's high level goals is "to divert offending by diverting young people from offending behaviour". There is a range of initiatives to divert young people from offending behaviour. The first is the Garda diversion programme, which provides an opportunity to divert young offenders from criminal activity and includes a restorative justice aspect. It operates on a nationwide basis under the supervision and direction of the Garda National Office for Children and Youth Affairs.

The diversion programme provides that, in certain circumstances, a young person under 18 years of age, who freely accepts responsibility for a criminal incident, may be cautioned as an alternative to prosecution. In more serious cases, the young person may be placed under the supervision of a Garda juvenile liaison officer, who is responsible for administering the programme at local level. It has proven to be highly successful in diverting young people away from crime by offering guidance and support to young people and their families. The Children Act 2001 put the programme on a statutory basis. As of 31 January 2009, there were 109 gardaí operating as juvenile liaison officers and many other gardaí are engaged in liaising with young people on a day to day basis. In addition, young persons probation, a division of the probation service, has been established to deal with young people who come before the courts.

Garda youth diversion projects, which operate as a resource to the diversion programme, are funded by the Irish youth justice service and administered by the Garda Síochána. These youth projects are community-based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people from becoming involved, or further involved, in criminal or anti-social behaviour. They achieve this aim by providing suitable activities to facilitate personal development, promote civic responsibility and improve long-term employability prospects. By doing this, the projects also contribute to improving the quality of life within communities and enhancing Garda-community relations.

There are 100 Garda youth diversion projects in operation throughout the country, including two in County Donegal, one in Falcarragh and one in Raphoe. An application to set up a Garda youth diversion project in Gweedore was received by the Garda Commissioner. However, there are 39 similar applications for new projects throughout the country currently with the Commissioner. These applications were held in abeyance, initially to allow the significant 2007 increase of 29 new projects to settle down and become established and, subsequently, because of the growing uncertainty over the public finances. The position now is that, in view of the current budgetary situation, it is not possible to commit to any new projects at this stage. Therefore, the primary focus of the Irish youth justice service and the Garda Síochána will be on ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the existing projects.

The first step in reviewing the effectiveness of the Garda youth diversion projects was undertaken in 2008 when a baseline analysis of each of the 100 projects was undertaken by the Irish youth justice service. The report of this analysis is nearing completion and I expect to receive it soon.

It is important to recognise that the national youth justice strategy operates in tandem with the National Children's Strategy 2000-2010. There are currently four pilot local children's services committees, including one in County Donegal, helping to implement the national children's strategy. These are multi-agency committees, chaired by the HSE and they include both local gardaí and probation representatives. They are helping to achieve a co-ordinated and integrated service for children in the counties concerned.

Senator Pearse Doherty

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Unfortunately, it is not the one I had hoped to receive nor is it the one that those involved in the forum and the young people who will probably need the service in the future were hoping to receive.

The Government has implemented a number of cuts and budgetary restraints. This applies to the Minister of State's Department and therefore his hands are tied to a certain degree. I wish to bring to his attention that the youth project which existed in Gweedore and which assisted some of these young people has also had its funding withdrawn so there is a double blow here. The diversion project was never in place and I do not know if anything can be done to try to help these young people in the interim. As the Minister of State knows, the cost of sending somebody to Mountjoy jail for six months far outweighs the cost of prevention measures the Garda can offer. Perhaps I will correspond with the Minister of State later to see if anything can be done, even a halfway house, in the interim until public finances are back in order.

Deputy Barry Andrews

In response to Senator Doherty, I met some of the young people from Gweedore who came to Dáil na nÓg recently and I pay tribute to them. They came straight up to me to explain the circumstances and the shortcomings, and the fact that funding was stopped. I assure Senator Doherty that, thanks to them, I am fully aware of the problems in Gweedore. It is an area in which I wish to concentrate any available resources, whether in youth cafés, youth work provision or, in the future, youth diversion projects.

The Seanad adjourned at 7.50 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 12 March 2009.