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Child Detention Centres

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 October 2012

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Questions (17, 39)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

17. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in the wake of the recent Inspector of Prisons Report on St. Patrick's Institution, if she will act to ensure that the May 2014 deadline for the removal of all children from that institution is brought forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46721/12]

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Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

39. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the timeline for ending the detention of children at St Patrick's Institution, Dublin. [46412/12]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 39 together.

Last week, I described the findings of the recent report by the Inspector of Prisons as shocking and unacceptable. I have discussed the content of the report in detail with Mr Shatter, Minister for Justice and Equality and Government colleagues and I have been assured that the action plan which has been drawn up by the Irish Prison Service will be implemented as a matter of urgency. This damning report provides further evidence of the fact that accommodating children in adult prison facilities is wrong. The Programme for Government has a strong commitment to end the practice of detaining children in St. Patrick's Institution and I am determined that this will happen at the earliest possible date.

I assumed legal responsibility for the children detention schools in January of this year. An immediate priority of mine was to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment and end the practice of detaining children in St. Patrick's Institution which has been criticised in domestic and international reports for decades. In April, following agreement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I announced a capital funding package of approximately €50 million for the project to expand the detention places and facilities on the Oberstown campus in Lusk, Co Dublin. This will involve the delivery by mid 2014 of sufficient new facilities to accommodate all children that are subject to detention by the courts. This will allow for the ending of the practice of detaining any person under 18 years in St. Patrick’s Institution.

Although planning for this much needed development has taken place under previous Governments this is the first time that this major construction project has been given the priority and necessary budget to ensure its delivery in the shortest possible timeframe. Since April, work has been ongoing in my Department and the Office of Public Works on the design, statutory planning, logistical and tendering aspects of this project. The required statutory planning notices were published in August and the public observation period has been completed. I expect that this process will be finalised in the near future, following discussion between the Office of Public Works and Fingal County Council. I can also report that tender documentation will issue shortly for the technical specialist contractors for the project and I expect that tender documentation for the main contractor will issue by December. My aim is to deliver suitable detention facilities on the earliest possible date, in a manner that complies with all design, planning and heath and safety requirements. I am also conscious that the Oberstown campus is already the location of the existing children detention facilities and these must remain in operation during the construction project.

As an interim measure, I have also announced the ending of the practice of detaining 16 year old boys in St Patrick’s Institution from 1 May 2012 by using existing capacity that was available on the Oberstown campus. Since July there have been no 16 year old boys detained in St Patrick’s Institution. On foot of legal changes made by me all 16 year old boys are now detained at Oberstown and for the first time are no longer sent to St. Patrick's Institution. In conjunction with the Minister for Justice and Equality, I also extended the remit of the Ombudsman for Children from July 2012 to include all boys under 18 years of age detained in St Patrick’s Institution.

Ending the practice of detaining 17 year old boys in St Patrick's Institution will be achieved through the provision of further capacity in Oberstown under the capital project now underway. This is being progressed as quickly as possible. However, I also intend to examine the feasibility of accommodating some categories of the 17 year old age group in Oberstown which are currently in St Patrick's Institution before mid 2014.  I have asked the Oberstown Board of Management and the Irish Youth Justice Service to keep this matter under review based on the trend of occupancy in Oberstown under the recent change in age categories and to report to me no later than February 2013 on this matter.

With these measures, I am satisfied that substantial progress is being made toward meeting the Programme for Government commitment to end the practice of detaining children in St Patrick's Institution and I intend that this will be achieved at the earliest possible date.

Question No. 18 answered with Question No. 12.
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