Vol. 257 No. 6
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education if, in accordance with the recommendation of the Report on Reformatories, a list of qualifications has been drawn up to ensure that a suitably qualified superintendent be in charge of remand homes; and if such a person has been recruited to meet this qualification.
37.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Report on Reformatories to prevent delinquent children mixing with non-delinquent younger children and exercising an undesirable influence over them.
38.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether the recommendations of the Report on Reformatories that St. Conleth's reformatory, Daingean, County Offaly, be closed at the earliest opportunity has yet been implemented and, if so, what alternative arrangements have been made.
39.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Report on Reformatories that open educational facilities be provided in these houses.
40.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether the closed psychiatric unit recommended as a matter of extreme urgency at 6.21 of the Report on Reformatories has yet been provided; and, if so, where.
41.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether the recommendation of the Report on Reformatories that voluntary bodies dealing with prostitution should receive financial aid and guidance from the State and local authorities has yet been implemented; and, if so, to what extent and by whom.
42.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether the recommendation of the Report on Reformatories that hostels for those released from special schools should be provided has yet been implemented; and, if so, the number and location of the hostels.
43.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether the recommendation of the Report on Reformatories that two special schools should be set up for boys, run on open lines with a small closed wing for difficult cases, has yet been implemented; and, if so, the number and location of such schools.
44.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education whether special arrangements have been made for the treatment of seriously disturbed juvenile delinquents; the estimated size of the establishment needed; and the size of that provided, if any, as recommended in the Report on Reformatories.
45.
andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Education how many fully trained and properly remunerated staff including social workers have been provided for the special schools recommended by the Report on Reformatories.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 to 45 together.
When the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Reformatory and Industrial Schools Systems was published in November, 1970, an immediate examination of it was undertaken to see what could be done to implement the major recommendations in the report which directly concerned my Department. In the 12 months that have since elapsed the following progress has been made in this area:
(i) The new training school at Finglas has been completed and it is hoped to have it opened shortly.
(ii) it is anticipated that a contract may be placed shortly for the erection of a new training school on a 60 acre site at Obserstown in north County Dublin to replace St. Conleth's Reformatory, Daingean. Building would commence immediately afterwards;
(iii) an intensive course in child care for senior members of the staffs of reformatory and industrial schools was held last July and the first of a series of 12-month courses in child care commenced in Kilkenny in September last. This course will provide 20 trained personnel each year in addition to the many trained personnel already in the system. The course includes theory and practical work some of which will be done in schools abroad;
(iv) plans have been prepared for modern group home units, each to cater for approximately 15 children, which will be erected at selected industrial schools;
(v) a grant towards the cost of a hostel erected for girls from an industrial school in the Cork area has been made by my Department.
The reformatory and industrial schools have been designated as special schools in my Department and as such now have available to them the expertise of the inspectorial and psychological staff skilled in the preparation of educational programmes suitable for the deprived child and are also allowed special pupil/teacher staffing ratios. In the future, managers of remand or training centres will need to have suitable academic qualifications and experience before appointment to such posts. Concurrently with these developments officers of my Department have had meetings with the heads of religious orders engaged in the work with regard to the rationalisation of the present system, particularly the boys' schools, and proposals for a reorganisation of the general system envisage the separation of the deprived child from the delinquent in the matter of custodial arrangements and training.
Both the new institutions at Finglas and Oberstown will be conducted generally on open lines with some closed accommodation reserved for boys who may be temporarily difficult, but no decision has yet been taken on the extent of the accommodation needed for the seriously disturbed delinquent. This matter will be the subject of a detailed study which has already commenced.
The matter raised in Question No. 41 is amongst those still under consideration. I am not satisfied it is an appropriate one to be dealt with by my Department.
