Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Oct 1992

Vol. 424 No. 5

Written Answers. - County Dublin Detention Centre.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

84 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education if it is the policy of the Oberstown Juvenile Detention Centre, County Dublin, to accept only persons sentenced to lengthy terms; the policy of the centre; the numbers detained there and its total capacity.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

85 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education if he will examine the circumstances whereby a person (details supplied) who was sentenced to detention, is back on the streets; and if he will ensure that this person is urgently placed in detention in accordance with his sentence.

Minister for Education (Mr. S. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together.

Oberstown Boys Centre, which was opened in September 1991, is authorised to hold up to ten boys on remand and a further 20 boys on long term detention. On 27 October 1992, the centre had eight boys on remand and 20 boys on long term detention.

Boys can be remanded by the courts for periods of up to four weeks. In the case of long term detentions, the minimum period is two years and the maximum period is four years.

As regards the young person referred to by the Deputy, Oberstown Boys Centre confirmed the availability of a remand place for him when inquiries were made by the court on 1 September 1992. However, when the boy was brought to the centre it was found that the order presented from the court was for a 12 month detention period.

The centre could not accept the boy as it is not permitted by law to take long-stay placements for periods of less than two years. The boy has not yet been rereferred to the centre on the basis of an appropriately-amended placement order.