Vol. 395 No. 1
12 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
32 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
35 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
55 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
57 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
64 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
71 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
87 Dr. Lee asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
88 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Chan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; the reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
94 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Education if the assessment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Whitehall, Dublin 9, is closing; if so, the length of time it will be closed; reason for the closure; and the likely consequences of the closure.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 32, 35, 55, 57, 64, 71, 87, 88 and 94 together.
Arrangements are currently being made to relocate the remand and assessment centre for girls known as Cuan Mhuire from its present location in Whitehall, Dublin 9, to Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin. This relocation becomes necessary because of the expiry of the lease under which the Department held the Whitehall property from the order of nuns who own it.
Refurbishing works are being carried out at the proposed new location and are expected to be completed in February 1990 at which time the transfer will take place.
The same services for remand and assessment will continue to be provided at Oberstown as have hitherto been available at Whitehall. The provision being made at the new location includes a special facility in which two girls could be accommodated, should this prove necessary, for longer than the usual remand and assessment period of three weeks.
At the same time the need for a secure unit for longer-term girl offenders has been referred to the Department of Justice for urgent consideration by a high-level interdepartmental group, currently considering all aspects of detention of offenders. Inter alia, they are discussing this matter.
When will Cuan Mhuire close and when will the new facility be opened? Will there be any interval and, if so, what will happen during that period? Secondly, is the Minister aware that this relocation involves having the remand and assessment centre for girls on the same campus as the one for boys? Could the Minister say if the board of management of Cuan Mhuire have indicated that they are happy with such an arrangement or is the Minister happy with it?
In answer to the Deputy's first question, there will be no gap period. That will be looked after. I understand that there is disquiet not precisely about the matter to which the Deputy referred but in general about the issue. The fact remains, that it is necessary, because of the expiry date, to re-locate, albeit on a temporary basis. The final resolution of this problem is now, inter alia, being discussed by an inter-departmental committee of the Departments of Justice, Health and Education.
Is it the case that girls who are currently being accommodated in a remand and assessment centre ought to be accommodated after sentence in a facility which is not a remand and assessment facility? Is there no such facility for girls to be accommodated after sentence and, if not, would the Minister agree that that represents a very serious gap in the education and justice systems? Could the Minister be a little more specific than she was in her reply as regards exactly what is going to be done about this and when?
I have endeavoured to be as clear as possible. The same services for remand and assessment will continue to be provided at Oberstown as have hiterto been available at Whitehall. The provision being made at the new location includes a special facility in which two girls could be accommodated, should this prove necessary, for longer than the usual remand and assessment period which is approximately three weeks.
Just two?
That is the intention at present. In conjunction with that measure, which we are now taking, the need for a secure unit for a larger number of longer term girl offenders has been referred to the interdepartmental committee, under the chairmanship of Justice, to which I referred.
Just two places for the whole country?
Yes.
That is not good enough.
Could I ask the Minister to confirm to the House that the movement to what was formerly known as Scoil Ard Mhuire in Lusk of the remand and assessment centre will not be the thin edge of the wedge and that it will not become the permanent home for a detention centre for young girls, principally, as Deputy Bruton has said, because it is on the same site as Trinity House which replaced Loughan House for juvenile male offenders? Well she confrim that it would not be a suitable location for a long-term detention centre.
I am glad to give that confirmation.
