Martin Kenny
Question:786. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of the establishment of ten new Garda youth diversion programmes. [18448/20]
View answerTuesday, 28 July 2020
Questions (786)
Written answers
The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Youth Diversion Programme is supported by a network of Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs). The projects are community-based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people who have become involved in crime or anti-social behaviour and to support wider preventative work within the community and with families at risk.
There are currently 105 Garda Youth Diversion Projects in place throughout the State supporting up to 4,000 young people. Funding of approximately €18 million is being provided by my Department in 2020. This funding supports approximately 265 FTE youth justice workers, family support and early intervention posts, though it should be noted that this number can vary throughout the year for a variety of reasons, including leave, the inclusion of part time workers in the figure and project expansion.
I understand that considerable progress has been made in the last two years to extend the Garda Youth Diversion Project network to ensure that the service is available throughout the State. This has been achieved by extending the catchment areas of existing project and by allocating additional staff. There are a very small number of areas where this approach would not be suitable and I understand these are instead being considered for the establishment of new projects. I am informed that the number of areas in the State in which the evidence warrants the establishment of a new project, rather than the strengthening or extension of a catchment areas, is considerably less than 10.
Catchment areas for projects are determined in consultation with local community groups, members of An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders on a case-by-case basis. As the GYDPs have evolved organically since their inception, catchment areas can vary depending on the project’s background and local needs.
It may also be noted that, in recent years, the GYDP model has been developed and extended, with a renewed emphasis on family support and early intervention/preventative work, as well as on working with harder-to-engage young people, including those not suitable for the Garda Diversion Programme. Where any new projects are being established, the minimum core of the project will now include 2 youth justice workers, a family support worker, an early intervention support worker and an outreach worker to engage with harder-to-reach young people.
The estimated cost in a full year for a new project with all the additional elements under this draft revised model will depend on local circumstances. For comparison, funding of existing projects is some €125,000 on average.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has published a draft of a new Youth Justice Strategy in tandem with an online consultation which was completed recently. It is my intention that the draft Strategy will be further refined, informed by the outcome of the public consultation and the views of key stakeholders, with a view to presenting the finalised version to Government by the end of the year.