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Residential Care Schools.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004

Thursday, 28 October 2004

Questions (366)

Seán Crowe

Question:

365 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children incarcerated in State institutions due to the fact that no alternative accommodation exists. [26677/04]

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Written answers

There are five children detention schools under the aegis of my Department which provide residential care, education and rehabilitation for children, generally up to age 16, who have been convicted of an offence or remanded in custody by the courts. The operational capacity of the five schools is 114 of which there are 15 places for girls and 99 for boys. Officials from my Department have confirmed that on Friday, 22 October 2004, a total of 81 of the 114 beds were occupied.

St. Joseph's school, unlike the other four schools, caters for both offending children referred by the courts and non-offending children on placement from various health boards across the country in accordance with the Health Acts.

Of the 81 occupied beds in the schools on 22 October 2002, 18 were occupied in St. Joseph's school by children pursuant to the Health Acts. The remaining 63 beds were occupied by children detained on foot of court orders. Alternative placements are being sought for nine of these children, of which alternatives have been secured for two of the cases as of Friday, 22 October 2004.

The Special Residential Services Board was established pursuant to the Children Act 2001. Its function is to provide policy advice to my Department and to the Department of Health and Children on the remand and detention of children and to ensure the efficient, effective and co-ordinated delivery of services to children in respect of whom children detention orders or special care orders are made. The mission statement of the board is that detention is a measure of last resort. The board liaises with the courts and, advises on request, with regard to suitable bed placements or alternate child care options depending on the case circumstances.

Since April 2004, all requests for beds in the children detention schools from the courts are channelled centrally via the Special Residential Services Board. There is on-going co-ordination by this board with the various agencies, including my Department, in order to provide for alternate placements including the necessary child care plans and services most appropriate to meet the needs of the individual child.

Question No. 366 answered with QuestionNo. 336.
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