asked the Minister for Justice the name, location and capacity of each place of detention for juvenile offenders; and if he will give the same information in respect of places of detention which are planned or in the course of construction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Juvenile Detention Centres.
23.
Male offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 are at present accommodated in two places of detention:
1. St. Patrick's Institution, North Circular Road, Dublin, which can accommodate 205 juveniles on the general basis of one person per cell, and 2. Shanganagh Castle Open Centre, Shanganagh, County Dublin, which has cubicle accommodation at present for 45 juveniles.
For the next two or three years and purely as a temporary arrangement until the Department of Education have provided further accommodation for boys who need residential placement, Loughan House, Blacklion, County Cavan, which at present is an open centre for males between 16 and 23, will be made available to accommodate boys between the ages of 12 and 16 years, who, because of their behavioural problems or their tendency to abscond, are not currently acceptable in the existing special schools. The other special schools for this age group are under the aegis of the Department of Education.
Future plans include the provision of a replacement for St. Patrick's in Dublin and at least one other place of detention elsewhere for the 16 to 21 age-group. It is not possible at this stage to give the particulars asked for in respect of the proposed institutions.
On the general picture, can the Minister indicate whether any progress has been made regarding the educational situation during the summer holidays, particularly in so far as St. Patrick's Institution is concerned? In a previous reply the Minister indicated his concern in this matter.
The Deputy is well aware that I share his concern regarding the staffing problem in respect of education in the institution during the summer months. Negotiations on this question are in progress but they are rather delicate. I do not know whether the Deputy is a member of a teachers' union but I am sure he will understand that there are unions involved. I cannot tell him the exact stage at which the negotiations are but if I find it possible to do so, I shall communicate that information to him shortly.