asked the Minister for Justice his estimate, and the basis on which it is arrived, of the number of places in a custodial residential setting, required in this country for young male offenders between the ages 12 and 16 years.
344.
Written Answers. - Custody of Young Boys.
343.
asked the Minister for Justice the number of residential places for boys to be provided in the detention centre which he proposes to open in Loughan House, County Cavan.
345.
asked the Minister for Justice the names of all the individuals, agencies and other bodies he has consulted to date in relation the proposed detention centre for your boys in Loughan House, County Cavan; and if he will indicate in each case their views on his present proposal.
346.
asked the Minister for Justice the number and description of staff of all grades to be employed in Loughan House, County Cavan, when it opens; and, in respect of each grade or grouping by staff category, if he will indicate precisely the minimum qualifications, training and job experience required from applicants.
347.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state by employment category in each case: (a) the total number of staff to be employed directly by his Department in relation to the proposed Loughan House, County Cavan, detention centre; and (b) the total number employed by other agencies who will provide a service there; and, in the case of (b), the agencies concerned and the nature of the service to be provided.
348.
asked the Minister for Justice if, in the case of each category of personnel to be engaged in the running of Loughan House, County Cavan, he will state: (a) how many individuals, if any, have as yet been employed; and (b) the arrangements he has made, or intends to make, for recruiting staff including, in the case of each category, the qualifications of those who will make recommendations to him in relation to individuals to be employed there.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to answer Questions Nos. 343 to 348, inclusive, together.
1. On 21 April the number of boys in the special schools at Lusk, Finglas and Clonmel, which, of course, are not under the aegis of my Department, was 209. No precise estimate of the number of boys who will be sent to Loughan House is possible since that depends on a number of factors, including the decisions of the courts and the recommendations of the assessment centre at Finglas: Estimates have been obtained from the Garda and the welfare service of my Department but they are of necessity very tentative. Up to 90 boys could be accommodated at Loughan but I would hope that the actual number of boys there will not reach that figure. The very existence of Loughan House as a special school may have the effect of ensuring that some boys who at present cannot be kept in Lusk and so on, will in future be amenable to control in these other places.
2. The number of staff in Loughan House will, to some extent, depend on the number of boys who are sent there and therefore, no precise estimate of the total number of staff is possible. A total of 95 prison officers of various grades are being trained for the work and my intention is that a high ratio of staff to boys will be maintained. Prison officers are selected by means of an open competitive examination conducted by the Civil Service Commission consisting of a written test and interview and appointment is on order of merit. Candidates who have a minimum educational standard of intermediate or group certificate obtain exemption from the written test. The fundamental qualification required of any successful candidate is suitability and it is a complete distortion to suggest that the only requirement is a minimal educational one. Every officer who is assigned to Loughan House will have had undergone the usual training course for prison officers plus a special 12-week course in child care.
3. The intention is to assign two welfare officers from the welfare service of my Department for full-time duty in Loughan House. A psychologist is being recruited for the institution. Cavan Vocational Education Committee have already assigned four teachers—for English, Maths, History and Geography, Woodwork, Home Economics—to the institution and propose to recruit a further four—for Remedial Education Arts and Craft, Physical Education, Music. All will be appropriately qualified.
Arrangements for appropriate medical, dental and psychiatric care include the proposed recruitment of trained nurses.
4. I do not consider that it would be right for me to disclose the identity of persons or organisations consulted by me in relation to the Loughan House project and it would, of course, be contrary to what has always been the established practice for me to say what advice may have been given to me by my Department. I am satisfied that I had appropriate and adequate advice.