Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
413. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if she will set aside dedicated funding for the purposes of community rejuvenation and diversion programmes to support young people who are at risk of going into crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46649/23]
View answerMy Department is committed to protecting all communities, especially those most affected by crime, and to implementing policies designed to prevent our young people from falling into crime. When they do fall into crime, my Department is further committed to providing them with a pathway to a better future, free from crime.
Justice Plan 2023 commits to diverting children away from gangs seeking to recruit them into a life of crime. This includes the continued roll out of the evidence-based community intervention programme “Greentown”, which seeks to break the link between children who are engaged or at risk of engaging with a criminal gang.
The Government agreed to publish the Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023 earlier this year. This new legislation, which will criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime will, for the first time, create specific offences where an adult compels, coerces, induces or invites a child to engage in criminal activity.
I am determined to protect children and teenagers from being coerced into a life of crime, and the penalty on conviction is up to five years' imprisonment. The new offence will be a separate, prosecutable offence on top of the provisions in current law where an adult who causes or uses a child to commit a crime can generally be found guilty as the principal offender, meaning they can be punished as though they committed the crime themselves.
To support youth justice services and to ensure delivery of key objectives in the Youth Justice Strategy, a further €2.9 million in funding was allocated to youth justice services, increasing the total budget allocation for the YDPs and other youth justice projects to an unprecedented €33 million in Budget 2024.
This funding will be deployed with the assistance of the best available research and expert evidence to keep young people away from crime.
Under the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-27, the intention is to further develop this service so that it is available to every child in the State who could benefit from it, through an ongoing expansion of existing services and the foundation of new projects where necessary.
Additionally, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government and the Youth Justice Strategy, the Department launched a public consultation on appropriate diversion processes for young adults aged 18-24 who come into contact with the criminal justice system. It is well recognised internationally that more considered responses by justice systems for this age group may produce better results. This consultation closed in January and the Department will organise a number of subsequent consultation events for stakeholders over the coming months with a view to bringing forward proposals by the end of the year.
The Government will prioritise the rollout of Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) across the country in 2024. Each partnership will bring together community members, the voluntary and community sector, statutory services, and local councillors to work together in identifying and tackling community safety issues, such as anti-social behaviour and drug dealing, locally. Each Partnership will develop a Community Safety Plan for their area.
Partnerships will also be able to apply to the Community Safety Innovation Fund to provide funding for community safety initiatives in their area. This fund allows the proceeds of crime to be reinvested back into the community.
