Vol. 317 No. 9
asked the Minister for Justice if he will introduce an automatic referral system under the junior liaison officer scheme whereby a young person who came to the attention of the Garda in relation to any crime or anti-social behaviour would automatically be referred to the local junior liaison officers with a view to a preventive approach adopted.
400.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline his policy in relation to the junior liaison officer scheme, in particular the work undertaken by the scheme to date and if he proposes to expand the present staffing and activities of the scheme.
401.
asked the Minister for Justice the reasons there is to be a decrease in staffing in the junior liaison officer scheme in the Dublin Metropolitan Area South in view of the growth in population in this and adjacent areas.
402.
asked the Minister for Justice if he accepts the recommendations of the Val O'Donnell report, in relation to the junior liaison officer scheme and if he will make a statement on the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented.
403.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will make transport available, in consultation with the appropriate authorities, to the junior liaison officer staff to facilitate community relations and other work among young people and if his attention has been drawn to the similar initiative carried out with great success in Northern Ireland.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, it is proposed to take Questions Nos. 399 to 403, inclusive, together.
The report on the juvenile liaison officer scheme to which the Deputy refers is a confidential study which was undertaken with a view to determining what the results might be of expanding or otherwise changing the scheme, and which was prepared on the basis that it would not be published. It would be contrary to established practice to disclose details of or make public comment on such a scheme.
With regard to the operation of the juvenile liaison officer scheme, the action to be taken in regard to any young person who comes to the attention of the Garda in relation to crime is a matter initially for the local Garda district or divisional officer. If, by an "automatic referral system" what is implied is that juvenile liaison officers should have authority to deal under the scheme with a young person no matter how serious the crime of which he is accused, I do not think that such a proposition would be defensible.
I fully support the aims of the juvenile liaison officer scheme and, as the Deputy may be aware, a central administration unit, which has responsibility also for the development of Garda community relations, was established at Garda headquarters within the past year with a view to achieving a more effective operation of the scheme.
Since the commencement of the scheme in 1963, about 13,000 juveniles have been dealt with under the scheme and the strength of the juvenile liaison officer unit has increased from the original strength of one sergeant and seven gardaí to a current strength, excluding the administration section, of four sergeants and 40 gardaí. An assessment of the needs of the juvenile liaison officer scheme is a matter in the first instance for the Garda authorities, who have informed me that the results of surveys into the staffing needs and the work under the scheme which were completed last month are at present being evaluated by them.
I am also informed by the Garda authorities that it is not proposed to reduce the strength of the juvenile liaison officer unit in the Dublin Metropolitan Area (South). A vacancy which occurred in the unit last month is to be filled as soon as practicable. I understand that a survey of the staffing needs and work of the juvenile liaison officers in the area is being carried out with a view to determining if an expansion of the scheme in this and adjoining areas would be warranted.
As regards Question No. 403, I am aware of the official transport facilities being provided for certain organised activities for young persons that are arranged in the North. The question of introducing a similar scheme under the auspices of the Garda juvenile liaison officer unit is under consideration.
