Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2004
72 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the places of detention for juveniles under the auspices of his Department; the number of young persons detained in each centre; his plans to expand and further develop the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6365/04]
View answerFor the purpose of this question a juvenile is assumed to be a person aged under 18 years of age. St. Patrick's Institution is the designated detention centre for male offenders aged between 16 and 21 years of age for which my Department has responsibility. In practice, the majority of juveniles committed to custody are detained there. In addition, each of the prisons in the State can accommodate persons aged 17 years and over. With these provisions in mind, the location of juveniles in custody on 24 February 2004 are set out in the followingtable.
|
Location |
Number |
|
St. Patrick’s Institution |
56 |
|
Cloverhill Prison |
6 |
|
Castlerea Prison |
1 |
|
Cork Prison |
4 |
|
Limerick Prison |
3 |
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female) |
5 |
|
Midlands Prison |
1 |
|
Wheatfield Prison |
3 |
|
Total |
79 |
The Children Act 2001 provides a statutory framework for the future development of the juvenile justice system. There is a requirement under the Act for my Department to provide separate detention facilities for 16 and 17 year olds. Consideration is being given to locating a stand-alone juvenile detention centre in the proposed replacement campus for the Mountjoy complex.
